PreTeenage Revelations
by cgaussie
Summary: Epic Tales return, YAY! I think this is number eight. I could be wrong. ^_^ Enjoy. Ivy, Ragde, Allison, Vist and Athra are growing up quickly - and it ain't easy that's for sure.
1. Chapter 1

Pre-Teenage Revelations  
Epic Eight  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Poe  
  
It was a fine skool day, but something.. evil was afoot. Well, the kind of evil perpetrated by prepubescent girls, at least. Suzie glared at Athra from afar, the disguised Irken sitting on a bench by herself, Ivy in the nearby lady's room.  
  
"Puh, look at her. She acts so.. full of herself." Suzie snorted to her cohorts. Her cohort, by the name of Mandy snorted.  
  
"I know, you'd think something so short would be easy to push around but no..."   
  
"I have a plan, though." Suzie smirked evilly, turning to face her friends. "I heard from a very reliable source that she has some kind of freakish allergy to.. wait for it.. water. I mean, come on!" She laughed, waving her hand, then returned to her evil grin, "I say we test this out. At the very least, we'll get her precious little outfit drenched."  
  
"Good timing, her bodyguard just retreated to the ladies." said another cohort - this one named Nanette.  
  
"Water, sheesh.. what a stupid allergy!" Mandy scoffed.  
  
"Let's not let this opprotunity pass us by." Suzie held up a deflated red balloon. Soon after, the shadows started in on Athra, taking the form of Suzie and her friends looming over her, the former's arms held behind her back. Athra blinked, looking up at the group. She narrowed an eye, Suzie and co were never nice to be near to.  
  
"What do _you_ want?" she sneered.  
  
"Well, Athra.. I know we haven't gotten along that well in the past, but, my friends and I realize we were being.." She sighed here, taking on her best diplomatic tone, "Foolish, I guess you could say.. We saw that you were a perfectly capable girl just as any of us and we want to.. bury the hatchet. You know, mend our ways."  
  
"I see... well! I knew this day would come, finally you... girls have noticed me for the superior being I so am." Athra smirked, sitting up straighter. Nanette rolled her eyes at how full of herself Athra was.  
  
"Oh, yes," Suzie glanced upwards, "In fact, we've come to give you a.. peace offering." He polite smile turned into an evil smirk at that. Vist was wandering around the corner, his hands in his pockets, not really paying attention until he saw the wobbly, glistening balloon held behind Suzie's back.  
  
"A gift?" she arched an eye ridge again. "Well... okay..." The grin on Suzie's face became absolutely wicked at that, and several things happened at once; Suzie reeled back to launch the balloon, and as it flew through the air, an orange and green streak suddenly knocked Athra out of the way and pinned her to the ground, a loud splash being heard. To say the least, all were surprised and shocked. Athra blinked her eyes open, to see Vist pinning her down in a... ahem... odd way. By now, the girls were gone, and smoke was now raising into the air. Most of it oozing up off Vist's body.  
  
"Uhhmm.. Vist?" she asked quietly. Vist cracked his eyes open,  
  
"..yeh?" Obviously it hadn't registered yet that the water was eating through his clothes and his flesh.  
  
"_Get off me_." she snarled lowly, but ended up pushing him off, but stopping. She then saw how the water was soaking his clothes, spreading the mositure over his body. Athra glanced at where the girls were, frowning. "Oh those _miserable_..."  
  
"My pleasure, I musta trip-" He blinked, then suddenly howled with pain and started spouting off enough curses to make anyone in the nearby vicinity blush... except Athra.  
  
"Ugh, calm down calm down..." she opened her pak and pulled out what looked like normal human bandages, but they had the Irken symbol on a few. "Gimmie ya arm." He was thrashing around on the ground, but managed to force himself to raise his arm, biting his lip and squeezing his eyes shut, a pathetic whimper squeeking out of the back of his throat. Athra rolled her eyes and pulled his shirt sleeve down and began smearing on some cream over the burnt skin, before applying the bandage.  
  
"It hit your back, you'll have to take your shirt off or something unless you want the evil wetness spreading." He managed to sit up and unbuttoned his shirt, wincing as he peeled it off his body and over his pod, not even caring if anyone was around to wonder why his backpack was attached to his spine. Or at how well trimmed he was for the fact. Athra blinked, looking him over slightly with wandering eyes before snapping out of it and beginning to rub the cream onto his back and side.  
  
"You shouldn't have done that you know, I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."  
  
"I din't do it on purpose.. I mean.. I wasn't thinking.." He hissed with pain, tensing up and arching his shoulders as she covered up the wounds.  
  
"Yeah whatever." Athra pulled the bandages out and wrapped them around his torso to get to his back. He started to relax and loose his tension, sighing and sagging.  
  
"Why th'hell do burns hafta burn so damn much.." he muttered, wincing slightly whenever she tightened the bandage around the wound.   
  
"That's why they call them burns." she smirked, neither two noticing Ivy approaching slowly. She'd been shocked into silence. Afterall, the two were usually about to kill each other; here they were, Vist without his shirt and Athra tending to his burns.  
  
"Maybe I'm better off not asking.." She made a face. Athra blinked, finishing up on Vist and staring over her shoulder at Ivy. Could that be a... blush?  
  
"N-nothing is going on!" she spluttered, getting to her feet. "Vist was merely wounded while protecting me from an attack by those horrible Skool girls."  
  
"Oh, that bunch of.. wait, protecting you?" She looked disturbed at that. Vist picked his coat up, looking at the semi-ruined material and shook his head,  
  
"Can't resist a damsel in distress," he smirked at Athra, before wincing severely as he stood.  
  
"Please, I was fine. And I'm just returning the favor." Athra scoffed, stuffing the things back into her pak.  
  
"Yeah, well, frankly," He pulled his coat on, tugging it, "I think th'whole thing was a set up so she could see me shirtless."  
  
"Ugh.." Ivy backed away from the two of them. Athra crinkled her nose area,  
  
"Euw, what makes you think I'd want to see you shirtless?" obviously disregarding her wander of the eyes over him a while ago..  
  
"I dunno, th'fact 'm drop dead sexy?" He smirked, strutting. Good thing for her he'd been in too much pain to notice her wandering eyes.  
  
"I wish you _would_ just drop dead," Ivy snorted.  
  
"Me too." Athra frowned, standing up. "C'mon Ivy, let's go before he goes in heat." Vist glared at Ivy, scowling, then looked to Athra with a raised eyeridge,  
  
"Wait, don't think y'could _handle_ me?" His teasings lately had definately been more in the realm of 'flirt'.  
  
"No one would ever _want_ to handle you." she snapped back, glaring at him. Ivy sighed, hardly believing she was being the nonconfrontational one for once.. but those two were getting into all out brawls more often than not lately, and they seemed to be enjoying them a bit too much.  
  
"Come on, Athra, just ignore him.."  
  
"You were handlin' me jes a minute ago!" He smirked.  
  
"Well I couldn't leave you out here and have some human find out anything could I?!" Athra fumed, then released a sigh. "Fine, let's leave him to his brooding." with that, she turned and marched off quickly.  
  
"Hmph." Vist folded his arms, but watched her go with a raised eyeridge. Meanwhile, on the other side of the skoolground, Suzie had managed to break free of her partners in crime and was catching her breath, sitting on a bench. Allison glared at her from across the way,  
  
"I wonder what that little rat just got done doing.." Ragde blinked, lowering 'Ivanhoe' - a book he had to read for English - looking over at Suzie.  
  
"Hrm?"  
  
"She looks like she's been up to no good." Allison _definately_ didn't like the girl, hadn't since that party. Huh, wonder why.  
  
"You always think she's up to something." Ragde said, placing his bookmark in the book and shoving it into his bag.  
  
"Well.. she usually is, isn't she?" She waved her hands. "I just don't like her."  
  
"Hmm well... what ya gonna do?" he shrugged, looking over at Suzie now. Allison didn't answer, just scowling.  
  
"Hmph.." Suzie looked up, noticing Radge and smiling kindly at him, though it did seem a bit.. plastic. Course, Ragde being stupid - that or just returning the favor - smiled back slightly and giving a short wave. Suzie's smile broadened and she returned the wave, seeming friendly enough. Allison blinked, looking back and forth between them, "Hey, what're you doing?!" She had been a bit edgy, moodswingy lately.. wonder why. Ragde jumped slightly, his antennae scythes faltering.  
  
"Waving..." he said meekly. He was never one to be around edgy people.  
  
"Don't encourage her! Next thing you know she'll be-"  
  
"Hey, Raggy," Suzie called out, and Allison balled her fists, glaring at her from across the way. This only seemed to amuse Suzie. Ragde looked back at Suzie, shrugging at Allison then turned to see Suzie again. Poor guy...  
  
"Uh, hey Suzie.." he half-called out. Never was one to yell either, the wall flower...  
  
"C'mere! I wanna ask you somethin." Suzie grinned devillishly, and Allison fumed. Ragde blinked, looking at Allison before getting to his feet slowly. Allison looked up at him aghastly, then glowered,  
  
"Oh fine! Go!" She folded her arms and turned away from him. Jeeze, what was with her lately?  Probably what he was thinking, pretty much. He sighed, he didn't like being around her when she was like this, but he didn't exactly like Suzie that much either. Least she didn't snap at him, so Ragde slung his bag over his shoulder and walked over to Suzie.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Hm.." She put a finger to her chin, making a show of looking thoughtful. A slightly sheepish smile curled her lip, and she glanced to the side, "Okay, I lied.." She stood, "I wanted to see something."  
  
"...you wanted to see something? What, have I got toilet paper stuck to my shoe again?" he glanced down at his boots quickly, but relaxed when he saw nothing.  
  
"No, silly.." She laughed softly and studied his face for a moment, before reaching over and lifting his glasses off of his face gingerly. She held them to the side, "Hm.. much better." Ragde blinked, feeling his face for some reason.  
  
"Uh... what's better?" She giggled, her smile turning downright foxy,  
  
"You." She poked his cheek with one of the arms of his glasses, "You look so much cuter without this big geeky things on your face.." To say the least, he goes red.  
  
"Uhh... well I kinda need those..." he couldn't exactly see the foxy smile, since without his glasses everything were blurry figures.  
  
"Oh, pshaw." She ran the rubber-coated tip of the glasses arm down his neck, "Get contacts. You've got looks to die for, even with the green skin." She withdrew the hand holding the glasses, just in case he tried to retrieve them, putting the arm between her lips and worrying at it with her teeth, scrutinizing him. "I mean, you have the hair, the blue eyes.."  
  
"I... can't wear contacts," he muttered, knowing he couldn't wear two sets of contacts at once. And he didn't even try to get perscribed lenses that size. Last time his Dad tried the lenses exploded. "My eyes get all red 'n stuff... that's why I wear them. I mean, hyeah if I could wear contacts I would but.. I can't." Ragde sounded more nervous now, being without glasses made him feel all of a sudden very vulnerable to everything and everyone.  
  
"Huh.. pity." She set the glasses into her shirt collar, clipping them onto the edge of the low cut opening, right down.. yeah. "I guess I'll have to enjoy you while I can then, huh?" She smirked visciously. Maybe it was just as well he couldn't see all these visual signals.. but Allison sure could, and she was white knuckled and as green as Ragde with jealousy. Ragde then held a hand up,  
  
"Um, can I have them back please?" he asked nervousally even more so then before. His antennae were shaking as they held back behind his head, knowing something was afoot and quickly getting the message to his brain.  
  
"Not _juuuuust_ yet.." And with that she leaned over, planting a kiss on his mouth. Unfortunately for her, Allison wasn't the only one witness to the proceedings. Ragde's antenane now stood on end, the bends in them momentarily straightening out in shock. His eyes widened, and he stepped back but too quickly really and ended up falling over his feet. Poor Ragde though, grabbed onto Suzie's arm, pulling her down with him and more or less onto him too. Poor, poor Ragde. Suzie blinked in surprise before grinning victoriously,  
  
"You get straight to the point, don't you?" She murmured, getting comfortable on him. Suzie was just about to continue when.. she felt herself lifted off of Radge by the back of her shirt, nearly being strangled in the process.  
  
"A-_hem_." Ivy narrowed her eyes, bringing the smaller girl up to eye-level with her. Allison was on the scene too, and actually looked scarier than Ivy at the moment as she railed at Suzie,  
  
"You little slut!" headed off a stream of profanities no girl her age should know. Ragde sat up on the floor, looking still paralyzed with shock. His hands on the floor, his big feet sprawled out sill. He panted, trying to regain his breath again as he tried to block out the insults and everything else coming from the three girls. He sat up now, bringing a foot up and cringed as he heard a 'smash' sound. Lifting his foot up, he felt where his foot had been and sure enough... broken glasses.  
  
"Oh... man.." he murmered to himself. Eventually Suzie managed to free herself from Ivy, running off before she got pummeled. Ivy glared after her, then looked down at Ragde, noting the broken glasses.  
  
"Oh, great." She rolled her eyes. Allison was practically slathering, but calmed down after the girl was out of sight and sat on her knees by Radge, taking his arm so he knew where she was,  
  
"You alright?"  
  
"I, I don't know I, I didn't welcome that - okay I didn't say to her to do that I didn't ask to fall down I didn't ask to break my only pair of glasses I have at skool I didn't ask for it!" Ragde rambled, shaking like a terrified leaf and his free hand grabbing Allison's.  
  
"I know, I know, it's not your fault she's a tramp." Allison hefted his upper half onto her lap and hugged him. Ivy shook her head,  
  
"Jeeze.. There's only one more period left, Radge. Just have your friend there be your guide dog." Allison glared up at her, but wasn't in a mood to argue. Ragde just sighed, his antennae scythes flopping back down against his head again.  
  
"This has got to be one of the worst days of my life..." he muttered.  
  
"Try defending yourself next time and maybe it won't be so bad." Ivy snorted, walking off. Allison frowned in her direction, then looked down at Ragde,  
  
"Told you she was trouble," She said, but not in any kind of hard tone, more like soft teasing.  
  
"I know..." he said sulkily, like a little boy being scolded by his parent. Allison had to smile at his sulky tone despite herself, lifting him up a bit more and hugging him, resting her forehead against his temple. Her mood sure seemed to have done a 180. Ragde's antennae scythes trembled slightly, but he sighed.  
  
"...so will you be my guide dog for the rest of the day?" he asked nervouslly.  
  
"'Course, Raggy. Can't let you wander off and get into any more trouble." Even if he couldn't see it, there was a smile in her voice.  
  
"Ah.. thanks.." he smiled slightly, "I knew I shoulda brought my second pair to Skool... but nooo..." Ragde rolled his eyes, then shook his head.  
  
"Don't worry about it, you can get them when you get home." She reached over and stroked one of the odd scythes sticking out of his hair almost unconciously, since it was convienent. Ragde's eyes widened slightly, but nodded.  
  
"Yeah you're right..." Just then, the Skool bell rang. Lunch is done for the day, woo.  
  
"C'mon." She stood up, reluctantly displacing him and helping him to his feet.  
  
"Joy... Maths." the two headed off. My what a very interesting and busy lunch hour _this_ was.  
  
[To be continued!]


	2. Chapter 2

Pre-Teenage Revelations  
Epic Eight  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Poe  
  
A week or so passed, and it seemed Vist had regressed back into being, well, an ass instead of gentleman towards Athra, almost like he was upset over the whole waterballoon thing. Of course this had also deterred any thoughts of reconsolation or even investigation Athra might've had into his general moodiness over the situation, so the two had been waging a two-person war against each other everywhere in the skool. Finally, more than a few people got sick of the situation, and decided to just be done with the both of them; the janitorial closet, dark, cold and off from the main classrooms would be the perfect place for a death match, so to speak, so everyone around the skool might finally get some peace. The door of the closet opened, and Vist was shoved roughly in, despite his swearing and protesting to the contrary. He grumbled and glanced around, his eyes adjusting to the dark, then jumped when he saw Athra there, too.  
  
"They got you too, _huh_?" she asked, arms folded over her knees that were bent up against her chest. Athra glared at the floor, muttering about the pathetic human race and how they shall all pay dearly once she gets home.  
  
"Yeh," he muttered as well, groping the wall for a switch or a pull-string or _something_ that would light the place up; nothing. He just sank down against the wall and growled, "What I wouln't have given fer Ivy's height.."  
  
"You and me both... I'd kick them all in their foreheads and use their bodies as a housing development for fly larve." Athra snarled, pulling her wig off at least to air her antennae off since the wig was musty. He blinked and decided to follow suit, yanking off his wig and shaking his droopy, jointed antennae free. He pulled out his contacts, too, his orange eyes practically glowing in the dark as he glanced over at her.. He'd never actually _seen_ her without her wig on, afterall. Athra thought it'd be a good idea to take her contacts off too, since they _were_ itchy. She made a 'gorah!' sound as she pulled them out, and blinked a few times. Her pinkish-eyes blinking in the darkness.  
  
"They are _so_ going to pay for this..."  
  
"Pink?" He wondered outloud when he saw them, snickering, "Figured you'd be more the blood red type.."  
  
"Hey don't mock my eye colour." she snapped, folding her arms again. "Not my fault I got my Mother's eyes instead of my Father's."  
  
"Not complaining," He grinned, his smirk practically able to be felt in the dark room, returning to the tone he'd had in his teasing prior to the watery incident. She remained quiet and just kept to herself now, she didn't need to be teased by him or anyone else right now. Athra just kept glaring at the mop which was slumped against the wall across from her, wondering if she was quick enough she could gourge Vist in the eye with it. He just snickered and leaned back, folding his arms behind his head and stretching his legs out; how he could do this in the cold room without being phased was unknown, but he didn't seem to be affected. The two sat in silence for a while, as time ticked on.  
  
"...so." Athra finally said.  
  
"Mng?" He blinked one eye open at her, like he'd been woken up from a nap.  
  
"So what's new with you?" she asked. He opened both eyes and turned his head, staring at her blankly.  
  
"Lemme get this straight," he wondered, "Yer actually interested in my life?"

  
"It's _something_ to talk about, isn't it?" Athra shrugged, "You can ask about my life if you want." He turned his head back towards the wall he was facing, then towards the floor.  
  
"'ve taken to eatin at the cafeteria," he muttered, "The stuff Mom'n Poe bring home fer dinner nowadays ain't exactly normal." He had an usually quiet tone.. it wasn't easy having rabid parents, afterall.  
  
"They bring home dead things?" she asked quietly. She knew that her brother's parent in laws weren't exactly normal, it was a jab she made at Vist now and again just to get him riled up. The orange glow in the darkness flicked off, indicating he'd closed his eyes or turned his head away,  
  
"Sometimes," he muttered, hunching over; he didn't exactly need to give her any more ammo for her insults.  
  
"Sorry to hear that." Athra said gently. She scratched the side of her head, trying to think of another subject. "Hey, Vist?"  
  
"Eh?" He glanced over his shoulder slightly, a bit surprised she hadn't used his admission as a launching point for a barrage of insults.  
  
"...I didn't say thanks for taking that waterballoon last week..." she said, looking at his glowing orange eyes in the darkness. "...thanks." He blinked in further surprise, something that reflected in his eyes,  
  
"Eh.." He shrugged, "Wasn't nothin." Athra smirked,  
  
"Never thought you'd hear me thank you, huh?" she leant against the wall, shutting her eyes. "I don't blame you."  
  
"Din't cross my mind, no." He returned to staring at his wall, "Actually thought you were mad at me for it." He then felt her hand pat his, first real time she'd ever really touched him without giving him a bruise, cut, scratch etc. etc.  
  
"Nah, I wasn't mad.. I was thankful it wasn't me but still felt bad about it happened to you." Athra said, her pink eyes looking up at him. He froze and looked down at his hand, then down at her. He shrugged in the dark again, though this one seemed a bit more nervous,  
  
"Like I said.. dunno.. what came over me." His voice wavered slightly, like his cool-headed exterior had actually been shaken slightly.  
  
"Well you thank whatever caused it for me then." she said, letting his hand go and sitting back by herself against the wall.  
  
"Heh.. 'll be sure to do that sometime." He was silent for a while, before he looked up at the vent, "Is it jes me or is it cold 'n here?"   
  
"I thought it was warm in here." she said, glancing around. She sure _felt_ warm.  
  
"Hm." He snickered softly and went back to his teasing, "Must be due t' the fact that yer hot, huh?" Athra sat there for a while, then looked at him with a confused look.  
  
"...are you saying I'm 'hot'?"  
  
"Hey, you said it first, I jes saw an opening." He looked over his shoulder at her, his teeth glinting in the dark as he smirked.  
  
"..oh." she had sort of hoped that was a compliment, her antennae lowering. He turned around again, looking down at her, sensing her lowered antennae.  
  
"Din't say I didn't mean it, did I?" He then felt her fist connect with his arm, more sharply then it usually did. Obviously, he _did_ touch a soft spot. After the punch she scooted more over so now she was in the corner, arms folded and head to the wall. "Ow!" He fell back from his position on his knees, rubbing his arms, and looked at her in confusion and disgruntledness, "I was complimentin' you!"  
  
"In future make yourself more clear." she muttered, her back still to him. He rubbed the healthy bruise he had on his arm now beneath his sleeve, muttering beneath his breath. Something intriugied him, though, and he leaned over towards her,  
  
"Why're you so touchy about that?" Her antennae folded back against her head, her eyes tightly shut.  
  
"Why, so you can make nasty jokes about it in future?" Athra asked.  
  
"No, so I can avoid upsettin' you again," He said, and there was a genuine tone in his voice, then added, "Don't wanna get punched again either." There was a pause, before she replied.  
  
"I've never been complemented about my looks before, outside my family that is. Mom always says I'm a beautiful girl, and Dad always agrees and says how I've got their beauty in my genes." she turned her head to see him, then looked at the floor. "But no boy has ever said it to me. And I thought you said that, then said you didn't mean it. That's why I hit you." she sounded very genuine as she said this, obviously not about to make some sharp insult or comment at the end of it. She actually turned back to the corner, closing her eyes again. "Sorry I guess."  
  
"S'alright." He pondered, sitting down not too far behind her, "Le's try it again then." He coughed and sat up, his voice actually smoothing out somewhat, away from the raspy accent he usually had, "I think you're b…" he faltered here, a sudden burst of shyness mangling his words, "real pretty." Athra opened her eyes, looking at him. She stared at him for a while, before speaking.  
  
"Do you really mean that?"  
  
"I mean it." He actually smiled - albeit somewhat crookedly, his pointy teeth still sticking out - but a smile nonetheless. She looked at him, before smiling gently.  
  
"Thanks... and I think you're really..." Athra paused, looking for the word. "You're ruggedly good looking.." He blinked, raising an eyeridge and tilting his head,  
  
"Ruggedly? That a nice way of saying I look like a Reject?" His tone wasn't defensive, though, still friendly, and there was a smirk in his voice.  
  
"Nope." she shook her head, turning to face him now kneeling on the ground. "You're good looking... some say you aren't, but that's a quality I admire. Make more sense?" Athra grinned, leaning back slightly. He stared down at her, a grin spreading over his features, antennae raising unconciously as was honestly complimented.  
  
"Guess it does." He looked around slightly, as though for witnesses, then back to her, "No 'n's.. ever complimented me on my looks 'fore either."  
  
"Guess that's a first for both of us then." she smirked, then smiled at him brightly. "In a really weird way, I'm glad that you were the first for me, and I was the first for you." He hunched over slightly, folding his elbows on his knees, his head more level with her's now.  
  
"Wha's so odd about it?"  
  
"That ever since we met we've been at each other's throats, that's what weird about it." she pointed out.  
  
"Guess so, but who else is ever gonna see'n appreciate our Irken forms?"   
  
"Next to no one." Athra replied, then looked up at him and now the two shared eye contact. Not a thing they had usually done in the past at all. He stared back down at her, his proud, crooked smile sinking into something softer, even his ever-present teeth disappearing.  
  
"S'a nice shade of pink." He added to the little eye colour exchange they had earlier. An actual blush now spread over Athra's features, and she smiled back at him gently,  
  
"Your eyes are really nice too... even with the hint of dark under them." He smiled a bit more broadly at the blush, half-closing his eyes,  
  
"Yeah, well your's have pretty lashes, too." He smirked faintly, falling into a sort of inverted version of the insult exchanges they usually had.  
  
"That's cause I'm a girl, silly." she wasn't in the mood to really think up a smart retort to that, so she just went with the truth.  
  
"Huh, still." He reached up slowly, brushing the long lashes with his thumb lightly, continuing onto her cheek. "'Silly? You goin soft on me?"  
  
"No." Athra found her head leaning against his hand, her eyes half shutting. "I just don't feel like insulting you."  
  
"Glad to hear," he mused with a rumble-ey tone, his hand gently settling onto her cheek fully and caressing her jaw.  
  
"...y'know this is kinda nice. No arguing or anything..." she purred slightly, shutting her eyes now. He made an affirmative 'mmm' sound, and her eyes closing lead his to do the same; this set a certain familiar process in motion, though, and before he knew what he was doing he had leaned forward, pressing his lips against her's. Athra's eyes opened as she suddenly felt Vist kissing her. She wasn't sure what to do. To just sit there like a petrified rock and let him kiss her, to lean away and slap him across the face and tell him off, or to even probably kiss him back. After a few seconds thought, she put her hand to his neck and just _very_ tentivly kissed him in return after her mind made up it's, er, mind.  
  
He blinked in surprise when she kissed back, not only at the fact she was doing it, but it brought to light the fact _he_ was doing it; he was tempted to break away with a sputter of apologies, but part of him said it could wait. He was too drunk on hormones to put up much of an argument. He leaned forward, running his hand down her neck, the other reaching for her waist. Athra tilted her head slightly, her mind still arguing about when to end this since it seemed sort of wrong. In the back of her mind she remembered how paniced her Dad felt, back when she told him of that dream all those years ago. She then very slowly stopped the kiss, but still kept her hand on his neck and the other which had placed itself on his arm. That seemed to snap him out of it, and he shook his head faintly, looking somewhat dazed.  
  
"S-sorry, I din't mean to, well, I mean, yer face was so close and I just kinda leaned forward and.." She bit her lower lip, glancing at the ground.  
  
"S'allright..." Athra cleared her throat quickly. He stared at her, not bothering to remove his hands either, remembering something in the back of his mind,  
  
"Guess that means my theory 'bout Ragde and his human are true, huh?" Athra shrugged.  
  
"I guess you're right then." she then glanced around the janitorial closet, then back at him lookings lightly confused now. "So... what do we do when we get out of here?"  
  
"Good question," he murmured, looking around, "Can't imagine how the rest of the family'd react, so maybe.. we better not let them know."  
  
"I think that'd be best." she replied, glancing to the side. "So we'll continue on as if nothing happening, right?"  
  
"Yeah," He looked down at her, "'Cept for one thing."  
  
"What?"   
  
"Mind pulling yer punches in the future?" He winced, her hand currently on the spot she'd punched sharply earlier. She looked at her hand, then let go quickly.  
  
"Sorry... again." Athra looked at her hand, and rested it in her other. "Guess I don't know my own strength sometimes..."  
  
"Nah, it's alright. But I figure we have somethin' more pressing to worry about.." He looked over at the doors, which locked from the outside, "Just how're we gonna get out without drawin' too much atention?"  
  
"Well.." she looked to her watch which seemed to appear when needed. "They're all in class so..." Athra stood up pulling her wig back on, and managing to get her contacts in again. "Better get ready Vist." He nodded and found his wig, setting it back onto his head, pulling his contacts out of his coat and setting them in.  
  
"So what, we cut the door down with our pod legs?"  
  
"Somethin' like that." Athra's pod then opened, the four legs springing out. Her joints though, were a deep red colour. The legs formed a squrae, and shot out lasers which cut a square into the door. Soon as the legs vanished into her pod again, the door square fell away and landed with a crash. "Out we go." she grabbed his hand and knelt down and stepped out of the hole, leading him with her. He practically had to crawl through the hole, coughing and looking around at the desolate hallway.  
  
"I know yer a proper student and all, but," He glanced towards the main doors at the end of the hall, "Since we're already unnaccounted for, why don't we just bail?"  
  
"Bailing sounds good." Athra picked up the door square and pushed it back into place.  
  
"Alright then." He grinnted toothily and took her hand once she was done, and the two headed off towards the exit doors.   
  
"So what are we now... Irkens who agrue yet kiss now and then, or Irkens who make people think we hate each other yet we don't?" she asked, looking up at him as they headed out the doors.  
  
"Hmm.." He looked up thoughtfully, then glanced down at her, "Maybe a bit of both, eh?"   
  
"I think that's about fair." Athra nodded, "I'm happy with that."  
  
"Same here." He let go of her hand and set his arm around her shoulders instead. She smiled at him, putting her hand onto his.  
  
"So Vist, what do we do for the rest of the day?"  
  
"Dunno, I could always show you 'round the places I usually hang around when I'm by myself," He smiled back at her, one tooth showing this time, "Probably be more enjoyable with you there too, though." Athra pondered for a while.  
  
"Yeah sure, why not?" It was a good way to spend the rest of the afternoon then sit in class. And you know how fun classes were.  
  
[To be continued]


	3. Chapter 3

Pre-Teenage Revelations  
Epic Eight  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Poe  
  
And so the deception went on, or at least it seemed to. One day, Vist and Athra were seated on a park bench, maybe talking, maybe just staring at the sky, it was hard to tell. Ivy appeared in the distance; Athra'd been becoming increasingly difficult to find, she and Vist were about as scarce as her brother and his human friend these days. Vist noticed Ivy before she spotted them, nudging Athra and pointing; and before she could do anything about it, wrapped his arms around her and dipped her onto her back, down against the bench. He was suppose to be looming over her threateningly, but the overall affect pointed somewhat in the other direction.  
  
"What'd you call me?!" He shouted, loud enough for Ivy to hear, drawing her attention to the bench.. she groaned.  
  
"Not again.." Athra blinked before Vist dipped her onto her back, then shot her hands up to his shoulders snapping into the act quickly.  
  
"I called you a slorbies slime licking smort-crab and you _know_ it's true!" she snarled back, hearing Ivy approaching.  
  
"Bah!" He stuck his tongue out at her, "Foo don't fee any schlime on dis! Ivy blinked, watching their body language from a distance; it looked a bit _odd_ to her.  
  
"Of course I do and get that out of my face before you slime _me_!" Athra eyed his tongue, looking slightly disgusted but we _all_ know what she usually does with it. Or do we wanna know? Eic.  
  
"Hah!" Vist started to forget he was suppose to be acting and dragged the tip of his tongue along her cheek, "Dak DAT!" Ivy looked downright nauseated at this,  
  
"I better go pull that little pervert off of her.." Ivy sighed, often relegated to the role of breaking up fights nowadays, as she strode up to the bench. Athra shrieked and tried to conceal laughing, or turning her head to meet his tongue at least. Heck both were hard to conceal by this time, but then Ivy arrived and grabbed Vist by the back of the shirt and with a quick yank he was off.  He yelped in surprise as he was lifted, Ivy holding him up with one arm and weilding the claws of the other one threateningly,  
  
"Stay away from my aunt, you.. eh.. whatever she called you!" Ivy waved a claw in frustration, tossing Vist down the dirt path none-too-nicely, so he landed in a dusty, stripey heap. He blinked and coughed, hacking up some dust, scowling genuinely at Ivy.  Athra sat up and wiped her cheek,  
  
"Icck." she just said simply before scooting over on her seat. "Hi Ivy." she just grinned up at Ivy, crossing her legs.  
  
"Yeah, well, I'll be back!" Vist stood up, shaking his fist, then ran off. Ivy looked rather troubled by the whole thing,  
  
"Huh? Oh, hi, Athra." She glanced down at her aunt with a worried expression, "Why are you grinning? That horrible little Reject spawn just got his drool on you!"  
  
"Oh I know, I'm grinning since you got here before he could get his drool on me more, that's all." Athra replied, "So! What ya up to today?"  
  
"Just.. wandering around looking for people. Ragde is off with that pet stink of his and you're.. always off fighting with Vist." She furrowed her brow, "If I didn't know better I'd say you must be enjoying it."  
  
"Yeah well..." she shrugged, "What else can I do with him? Can't put up with him..." Athra sighed and wiped her cheek again. "What, Ragde goes off with the human meat bag more now a days or what?"  
  
"He's always with her. He even goes over to her house sometimes. Next he'll be inviting her to our home," She snorted somehow, folding her arms. "Seems like he's succumbed to the stupid love virus, even if he doesn't know it yet."  
  
"Ahh, let him figure it out on his own... unless you wanna spook him so he'd never see her again." Athra said, then blinked. Well, the whole family (minus his parents) were worried about him spending so much time with a human. Her Dad once said he'd try anything to get the human away from them before she found out too much.  
  
"I've _tried_, that's when he decides to go and grow a backbone!" She spread her arms in exasperation, nearly whacking her aunt in the process; she never had been very careful about those things. "Vist's probably been a bad influence on him." Athra luckily ducked, she was used to this sort of thing around Ivy and with being so short.  
  
"Man, so what can you do then?"  
  
"I don't know, he can go end up on the next Alien Autopsy video for all I care." She folded her arms tightly and huffed, disguising some other emotion like worry or jealousy.  
  
"Hmm.... but really, you _do_ care about him." Ivy glared at her aunt, balling her fists. "Hey it's true, you always turn up and help him out when Allison isn't around, right?" Athra frowned back, "And I'm sure if you were in trouble he'd help you back."  
  
"Well.. yeah.. but he's my _brother_, I have to." She scowled, explaining it as though it were as plain as the blue in the sky, despite how forgien a concept siblings might be to Irkens.  
  
"If you say so." Athra shrugged back, looking down at the floor. "Me and Zib... I don't even see him as a brother." she frowned slightly, "Mom says she'd like another kid one day, Dad always changes the subject."  
  
"Be glad you don't have one! Little brothers are annoying and always getting themselves into trouble. Or befriending trouble," she snorted, and whether she was talking about Allison or Vist who knew, "And then you gotta go save them. It gets old."  
  
"Then stop saving him. You won't always be around." sure she felt bad for Ragde herself, never showing signs of being a 'true' Irken, but heck he was part human. Perhaps that caused him to be the way he was.  
  
"But if I don't.." She trailed off and set her hands on her knees, scowling at the ground, "Daddy wouldn't be happy with me. Mom even less so."  
  
"Ah." Ivy was always up for making her Daddy proud of her, even if she was tough around everyone else she was her Daddy's 'little angel' no matter _how_ old she was. "That stinks."  
  
"I guess Vist found someone else to bother though, since he hasn't been around Ragde in a while, which is fine by me." She genuinely disliked her uncle, not that she could be blamed for considering how he acted around most people. Athra just nodded, before Ivy's wrist watch beeped. Curfew time for her. Enid had grown to prefer both Ivy and Ragde would be home by a specific time for lunch on Sundays, being the only day Zib was home all day.  
  
"Bah," She glared down at the watch, standing up, "I gotta go, but before I do, tell me one thing, Athra.."  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"I wasn't really hearing you _giggle_ when Vist put his tongue on you, was I?" She made a disgusted face.  
  
"What?!" Athra looked up at her, then scoffed. "Please... must have been some pathetic human larva laughing around here somewhere..." she glanced around, seeing bushes behind her. "Like hiding in bushes or something."  
  
"Yeah.. I guess so." Ivy still gave her an odd look, like she was still confused over the whole incident, then shook her head and started down the dirt path back home. Vist, meanwhile, had done a U-turn and was slinking around in those very bushes,  
  
"..she gone yet?"  
  
"Shh." she waved a hand at him secretly, Ivy tuned back to her. Athra waved, as did Ivy. She then turned and left the park all together. Athra turned around and looked at the bushes, smirking. "You could have eased up on the tongue, you know." she smirked.  
  
"Slipped," he made crawled out of the bushes and stood up, dusting himself off and pulling a twig out of his wig, "Don't accuse me 'f being a licking anything next time." He stuck the tip of his tongue out at her again, straightening his shirt.  
  
"Aw I'm sorry.. it was the first thing that came to mind." Athra grinned, standing on the seat so she was bending over to talk to him face to face. She leaned forward and pulled another twig out. "C'mon, let's split."  
  
"Where to?" He looked around, "I'd say we got, what, a half hour 'fore she shows up again?" He rubbed the friction burn on his chin, "Preferably some place safter.."  
  
"Aw poor Vist." Athra took his head into her hands and kissed him quickly on the lips. "Why don't we head to the mall then, been ages since we've been there." He immediately grinned crookedly,  
  
"Heh, why not?" He suddenly picked her up from the chair and looked around, "Now, what direction was the mall in.."  
  
"That a way." she pointed in the opposite direction Ivy had went, "Luckily." He started carting her off in his arms, but eventually let her down not too far along the way.  
  
Meanwhile, Ivy was still looking puzzled over how Athra and Vist had been, er, interacting, and needless to say not paying attention to the fact she was wandering through a more seedy part of town on her way home. She also didn't notice as hands suddenly appeared from a darkened allyway, but she _did_ realise when she suddenly felt the hands grab her by the arms and roughly yank her back into the darkness. Before she could react, she was hit up the head with some blunt object - so she didn't even get a chance to cry for help either. Two men were there, obviously hard on luck if they were now robbing girls, but up to _something_ seeing her age and all. One man pulled what looked like a wallet from her and looked through it.  
  
"Trust us to get one who's more broke then we are..." he muttered.  
  
"She's gotta have somethin on her worth stealin.. What's with the green skin?" The other mugger wondered, then shrugged, "Don't suppose it matters much since she's still female afterall.."  
  
"Ahhh go ahead then... not like anyone this side of town would notice." the other replied, throwing the wallet to the ground. But, unbeknownst to both of them someone had seen it, technically. Ragde had been walking home as well, when he suddenly had the feeling that he had to take a different route home. He shrugged, and continued on his way. He had just been turning the corner when he saw the some shadows casting out from the ally way, since the sun was moving along.  
  
"What the.." he thought.  
  
"Yeah, really, lookit how she's dressed any-" The other mugger froze when he heard Ragde's footsteps, "You hear that?" He hissed to his companion.   
  
"U-huh." the other mugger replied in a hushed tone. Before he got to the end of the ally way, Ragde stepped out looking at the two. He blinked, before seeing the figure of his sister on the ground.  
  
"Ivy!" he gasped, looking genuinly shocked at this.  
  
"Dammit," Mugger 2 grunted, then noticed Ragde's diminuative stature and glasses and snorted, "Ah, don't worry about it, it's just a short little geek who knows Mizz green'n'ugly here, 'parently." Ragde's mind was too busy at the moment. He closed his eyes tightly, feeling the first mugger approaching him either way with the same object that had knocked Ivy out raised, he brought it down but was shocked to find Ragde's hand shoot up and grab it in mid air, and his green claws dig into his hand. Ragde opened his eyes, looking up at the mugger and now the usual timid Ragde seemed to have melted away. He snarled violently, his long tounge sliding from his mouth. Before the mugger could at leat make a jab at him with his fist, Ragde leapt up and clawed the mugger's face. The force sending the mugger onto the ground, once he hit, Ragde let out a tidal wave of attacks drawing blood.  
  
"What the--" The other mugger dropped Ivy, lifting his hands up and trying to back away, groping the ground and picking up a piece of an old pipe to defend himself with, "What the hell are you freaks?!" The first mugger now unconcious, Ragde lifted his gaze to the other one. He grinned in a very evil way now, his pod suddenly opening up and his spider legs folding out. To say the least, they weren't the normal type. Seemed he had inheritited Poe's mechanical legs. Black, thick and powerful legs unfolded quickly and ripped into the ground lifting Ragde off the ground and high above the muggers face. Before he attacked, he whispered quietly.  
  
"…_I'd watch who you're calling a freak_."  
  
[To be continued – short I know, blah!]


	4. Chapter 4

Pre-Teenage Revelations  
Epic Eight  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Poe  
  
Sometime later, well, say around ten minutes Ragde left the ally way with Ivy slumped over his shoulder. His pod legs were back in, and he hurried along the streets. He didn't exactly like what had just happened, nor had he had much control over it either. But judging by the blood smeared over his clothing and face, he hadn't left anyone standing.  
  
"Ngh.." She started to drift into consciousness, the motion shaking her out of it somewhat. She looked down and saw a black coat, though one spattered with blood, "R… Raggy?" She wondered quietly.  
  
"Shh Ivy, we'll be home soon." he said quietly, his voice shaking. She _was_ a tad heavy, but not as heavy as she would have been if he still wasn't 'pumped up', so to speak. She was too out of it to argue, and her head hung again, pretty much remaining limp even as they neared their front door. Ragde reached up to turn the handle, then looked at his hand. It was more blood smeered then his jacket was, and he hate to imagine his mouth... he gulped, got a nasty after-taste then opened the door.  
  
"Mom?! Dad?!" he called out, closing the door behind him with a kick. Zib wandered into the living room, sipping a cup of coffee idly and in his lay-about clothes,  
  
"Hey, Ragde, what's the-" His eyes widened when he saw his son caked in blood, holding the rather unlively body of his sister, and sprayed the nearest wall with the coffee in his mouth, nearly shrieking, "What happened?!" Enid rushed into the room, hearing Zib's loud cry, no not a shriek - he's a boy, and stood there frozen for a moment.  
  
"..._what happened_?!" she finally shrieked in a slight panic. Ragde managed to get Ivy to the couch,  
  
"I, I'm fine! I-Ivy she just.." he trailed off, not really _sure_ what happened to her. Enid knelt down besides Ivy, looking her over.  
  
"Ivy? Ivy are you awake?" she almost said alive, but you know how worried Mom's get...  
  
"Nngh.." Ivy slurred, stirring slightly.  
  
"Fine?! You're covered in-" Zib went to his son, kneeling down to look at him, "Wait a minute.. just who's blood is this?" He held Ragde by the shoulders and looked at him puzzedly, the concept of Ragde being covered in someone _else_'s blood something that was hard to grasp. Ragde looked at his Dad, still in a state of shock himself at what happened. He shivered slightly, closing his eyes.  
  
"Two.. two men were with Ivy and... and they knocked her out.." he muttered, his bangs hanging in his eyes. Enid stroked her face with her hands,  
  
"Oh thank heavens Ivy.." she hugged Ivy, not too tightly of course. Ivy blinked her eyes open, her head bobbing slightly. Zib frowned in sympathy towards Ragde and hugged him, ignoring the blood getting on his clean shirt, then looked at Ivy,  
  
"Take off her contacts, Enid, she might have a concussion and her eyes would be dialated."  
  
"Okay.." Enid carefully held one of Ivy's eyes open and managed to get the contact out, and did the same for the other. She then tilted Ivy's head gently, looking at her eyes. "I.. I don't know, are they dialated?" Zib glanced over Ragde's shoulder, frowning,  
  
"It's kind of hard to tell, but.. no, I don't think so. Ivy, you know what day it is and all, right?"  
  
"I'm fine, Daddy.." She murmured, holding her head as she sat up with some difficulty, "I just have a massive headache.."  
  
"Come on Ivy, I'm taking you to bed.. she can, can't she?" Enid looked back at Zib, him knowing more about this kind of stuff then she ever would. Ragde rubbed his eyes, then found he had smeared more of the blood on his face then before.  
  
"Ugh." he muttered.  
  
"Yeah.. that'd probably be good." Zib nodded and looked back at his son, who'd probably start to be ill from the blood he ingested and the adrenaline rush and whatnot, "Are you sure you're not hurt?"  
  
"I... I don't feel hurt..." he replied, closing his eyes now and not wanting to see the streaks of red over his glasses. Enid managed to get Ivy into her arms, and carry her out the room.  
  
"What on Earth did you do to get all this blood on you?" He looked him over, "I mean, if any of my smeets were to come home covered in blood, I would've thought it'd be Ivy, not you.." He opened his eyes sadly, hanging his arms by his sides.  
  
"...two human men, they... they had hurt Ivy and I found them... I, I don't know..." Ragde put his hands to his eyes, starting to cry now. Not normal crying either, you know the type of crying which makes your body shiver 'n stuff. "I don't know what happened!! One of the men tried to hit me but I grabbed his hand and.. and..." Zib frowned, his antennae-scythes leaning backwards and he hugged Ragde again, sighing.  
  
"I just hope there weren't any diseases in the blood.. It'll.. be okay." He tried to sound assured, but he sounded somewhat uneasy himself; it was one thing learning of an illness in one of your in-laws, much different to have it rear its head in your own kid.  
  
"D-Dad..?" Ragde leaned into Zib, slowly wrapping his arms around him. "A-Am I... am I sick...?" he sounded genuinely scared now, seeing how he had no control over what had happened made him feel it could happen all over again.  
  
"Well.. I don't know how intermingled your human instincts are with Irken, but humans tend to get violent when someone they care about, especially family, is in immediate danger.." Zib picked him up with some difficulty, something he hadn't done in a long time, "So it.. Might have just been that.." That wasn't really reasuring to Ragde, so he just held onto Zib as he continued to sob pathetically, pulling at his black bangs. Zib sighed and winced; Ragde was quite a bit heavier than he remembered, but he seemed like he needed it now. He looked down at Ragde,  
  
"You want to get cleaned up, Raggy?" He asked softly. Ragde coughed, but managed to nod at least, his antennae scythes folding back against his head since they had been pulled free by the fight. Zib nodded and took him to the bathroom. Ivy was in bed, making a quick recovery, though she had a rather nasty knot on her head.  
  
"I can't believe I allowed myself to be attacked!" Ivy ranted at the wall, though her Mom was probably still around to hear. Enid entered the room with a cloth, to at least wipe away some of the stained blood Ivy had on her forehead. She sat on the bed, and held up one of Ivy's bangs and started to dab.  
  
"Well no one ever said humans attack fairly, did they?" she asked.  
  
"But still," She shuddered slightly, either from the cloth or the thoughts of what could have been, "I'm just glad Ragde was there.. I can't believe he did that.. I can't believe he _could_ do that.."  
  
"Well maybe he's had that hidden all these years, and the idea of you hurt just brought it out?" Enid wringed the cloth out into a bucket she had brought, then started again. "You're _very_ lucky your brother was there."  
  
"I guess.." She started to feel sort of bad for making fun of him all those times, now. Her almost scared expression furrowed into a scowl, "I hate males! The.. ones I'm not related to, I mean."  
  
"I never did take a liking towards them." came Enid's reply, sitting back and putting her hand to Ivy's chin. "So, do you think you'll be all right or should I administer head surgery?" she grinned slightly. Ivy blinked up at her Mom,  
  
"I'll be fine.." She smiled slightly, then went back to scowling, "I just wish I got to do what Ragde did!"  
  
"Well, maybe he might show you some pointers then. If he wants to." Enid glanced at the door, where she could hear Zib asking Ragde about if he did have any control at all, then looked back at Ivy. "Now you rest, all right? If you need me, call me."  
  
"Alright Mom.. " She nodded and sank into her bed, pulling the blanket over her with a yank.   
  
"Good girl." she gave Ivy's antennae a gentle stroke, a thing only she and Zib were ever allowed to do, then left the room. Zib had removed Ragde's glasses and was scrubbing off his face, especially the area around his mouth.  
  
"Like your mind just went into a haze?" Ragde nodded, since if he spoke he'd get a mouth full of the scrubbing. Enid entered the room, bucket in her hands.  
  
"She's fine Zib, just has a headache." she said, as Zib had looked to her, he was about to ask her how Ivy was. Seemed she knew what he was going to ask.  
  
"That's good.." He didn't look that relieved though, still worried about his other offspring. He took Ragde's bloody coat off for him, setting it to the side and checking his arms for injury, knowing that adrenaline would dull any pain and could leave any injuries to go undetected, "You wanna tell your Mom what you just told me, Ragde? About what happened."  
  
"Okay.." Ragde wiped his eyes, looking at his Mom once replacing his glasses. "Ivy, I think was mugged by two guys.. I had a funny feeling to go home a different way - so I did. Then... then I saw her with the guys. One tried to knock me out, but I managed to defend myself but...I don't really remember how I did.." Next off was Ragde's shirt, and Zib studied him with a look of disbelief,  
  
"Not even a bruise," he murmured, "Ragde, just how.. big were these guys?"  
  
"Um... taller then Grandfather Poe." he muttered, rubbing his arms. Enid blinked, looking to Zib.  
  
"That's tall..."  
  
"And... kinda muscular too." Ragde added.  
  
"I don't get it," Zib shook his head, "You didn't even have some sort of weapon or anything?  
  
"No... well... my pod legs got out so that was a help.."  
  
"Ah," Zib glanced back at his pod, "I can see how that would help, but all the pod legs I've seen have been fairly flimsy.." 'Course, he'd never seen Poe's.  
  
"..not mine..." Ragde gulped sadly as his pod opened, and the big, black, long and very powerful legs slowly folded out into view. And yes, some splatters of blood streaked down the legs. Enid looked shocked, stepping back.  
  
"Oh my..." Zib jumped back slightly, surprised, his glasses going askew,  
  
"Where'd you get _those_?!" Ragde shied back at Zib's yelling,  
  
"I, I don't know!" he cried. Enid put her hand to Zib's shoulder gently.  
  
"Zib, those are like Daddy's. He's.. just inherited his pod legs."  
  
"Inherited pod legs? But.." He looked confused, then shook his head, "Well, a-alright then.." Zib looked up at the blood-spattered limbs warily, "You.. do have control of those.. don't you, Ragde?" Ragde shrugged, as the long legs slowly vanished back into his pod.  
  
"I... usually can't control them, that's why you've never seen them..." he muttered.  
  
"That's.. not good," Zib said the obvious, "Maybe we should.. I dunno, maybe your grandfather could tell you how to control them." He shrugged helplessly.  
  
"Maybe." Enid said, nodding. "Should I call him over?" she asked. Ragde just stood there now, rubbing his right arm. Zib nodded, sitting back up on his knees and brushing some of Radge's mussed, bloodied hair out of his face,  
  
"Yeah, maybe he'd know what to do.."  
  
"All right.." Enid walked from the room, glancing back at her son before leaving the room and unfolding her communicator. Poe, meanwhile, was lounging about like the lazy lout he usually was, when his communicator sprung to life.  
  
"Hey, Enid," He smiled at his daughter, "How're things?"  
  
"Oh, um... fine... but, just now we really need you to come over." she said, tapping her fingertips together. "Ragde, well... he had an incident and he really needs your help." Poe frowned slightly, wondering at the urgency in her voice,  
  
"Well, alright.." He looked beside him on the couch, Cten having fallen asleep, he got up and headed out the door. Soon enough, he was at Enid's base, being lead to the bathroom, "What happened?"  
  
"Remember when your disease made you snap?" Poe nodded slightly, "Well... it kind of happened to Ragde. But, but he's back to normal now..." Enid opened the bathroom door, and Ragde was there cleaning the blood off one of his black pod legs with a cloth. Poe blinked, frowning slightly, but sympathetically. He kneeled down, feeling a little self-conscious as he was taller than everyone else, not to mention Ragde didn't need to feel intimidated right now,  
  
"Something set you off, Radge?" He knew Ragde was picked on quite a bit in skool, and hoped he hadn't snapped there. Ragde looked at Poe sadly, then nodded as he paused from cleaning the pod leg.  
  
"U-huh... Ivy was in trouble." he said quietly.  
  
"Ivy? Trouble?" That was kind of hard for him to picture, but he nodded anyway. He sought for words, then sighed, "Radge, I.. I don't know if your parents have told you, but I have this.. disease.." He glanced back at Zib and Enid, looking for permission to tell Ragde about it, "And it.. it might have.. spread to.. others in my family through genes."  
  
"Really..?" he sighed sadly, running a hand through his hair. "So.. so I've got it?"  
  
"M.. maybe." Zib sat back sadly, staring at the wall blankly and looking rather distraught, but quiet. "But it's.. It's alright.. I can teach you how to control it.. I've been doing that with your Grandma." Ragde sat there for a while, then his pod leg folded back into his pod what with being cleaned and all.  
  
"I can control it then?" he sounded slightly hopeful, his antennae lifting slightly.  
  
"Yeah," Poe smiled encouraginly at him, "I'm sure you can. You're kinda like me, we're not.. especially prone to violence." He glanced to the side, "If your sister had gotten it I might've worried more.."  
  
"Heh, yeah... she doesn't know how to control her anger..." Ragde smirked, then smiled at Poe. "Thanks Grandfather.." he then leant forward and hugged Poe, closing his eyes tightly. "Thank you so much." He smiled widely and hugged back, patting Radge's lower back,  
  
"Hey, it's part of the job," He grinned slightly, scruffing Ragde's hair playfully. Radge was the closest he ever got to having a real 'son', since Vist hardly wanted the part. And plus, the two being quite similar in some areas was a great help as well, to help link Poe and Ragde together. Ragde blinked, looking at his Grandfather while he still hugged him,  
  
"I'm lucky in a weird way, aren't I?"  
  
"Heh, yeah." He looked down at Ragde, "You have your own built in defense system.. you just have to learn how to control it. It's not.. _that_ hard, you just have to know how." He glanced over at Zib, who was running his claws through his hair and staring at his lap. Ragde looked over at Zib, looking slightly blank.  
  
"Dad, you all right...?" he asked.  
  
"I'm alright, Raggy," He shook his head, lifting it and pushing up his glasses, "I guess it's just.. hard news to hear, that's all."  
  
"I guess..." Ragde said quietly, but smiled slightly. "But Grandfather will show me how to control it, so, so you don't have to worry..." He smiled sadly at Ragde and nodded,  
  
"That's true.." He glanced over at Poe, who stood up, "Thank you, Poe.. I'll.." He looked upwards, "I'll find a cure for this thing someday."  
  
"We're learning to deal with it, that's what's important Zib." Enid said, putting her hand to Zib's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, then, then you can test stuff on me if you want, Dad." Ragde said. He sighed and nodded slightly, then looked down at Radge,  
  
"That's true, but.." He frowned, leaning over, "I'm not sure I could bring myself to do that to you, Ragde, I mean, it involves taking blood and shots and such.."  
  
"Well... if, if it'll help out I wanna." Ragde nodded simply, looking at Zib. "I don't wanna go crazy and hurt anyone, and if this shall help prevent it, then I want in." Zib smiled slightly, but warmly at his son's bravery, and stood back up,  
  
"I think.. between the data from you and your grand parents.. I'll be able to find something." He sighed, "I hope, anyway.."  
  
"Yeah, we'll beat it!" Ragde grinned, "Then me, Grandfather and Grandmother won't be sick anymore. So we can get back to normal."  
  
"Yeah." His smile broadened slightly, "As.. normal as we ever were."   
  
"Ah, we're normal.." Enid smirked, "It's human beings _I'm_ worried about."  
  
[To be continued]


	5. Chapter 5

Pre-Teenage Revelations  
Epic Eight  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Poe  
  
And so, things went on, and years passed, kids became teenagers. Two of those teenagers were in Allison's room, a small, messy, but somehow cozy lair, with blue carpet and walls and a montage of glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. Allison had grown from a fairly scrawny, plain girl into an attractive young woman, once you got past her casual clothes and ever-present large glasses. She had her arms folded behind her head, swinging one foot off the side of the bed she was lying on, staring at the ceiling. Radge was on the other side, but there was a perfectly platonic amount of space between them.  
  
"You ever wonder what it'd be like out there, Radge?" She wondered, after a moment of silence.  
  
"You mean beyond our world?" asked Ragde, who had seemed to become more bishie-fied as he had aged. Now with long black hair tied back into an actual plait - course that got him a lot of remarks from Skool, not that he cared - and wore a black jacket over just normal lay-about clothes. But his boots were chunky and thick. Probably attrative enough to get Suzie back into her stalker mode.  
  
"Yeah." She waved her hand at her ceiling, "Even just to see it, like what the Earth looks like on the outside. I mean, I know there are pictures, but.. they can't be much compared to the real thing." She set her arm back down, "There's a whole universe out there none of us have ever seen.."  
  
"Hmm... and you don't know who's out there... the universe is far too big for human beings alone." he adjusted his purple rimmed glasses, another target of insults from students. She tucked a strand of blue hair back up into her NASA cap,  
  
"Yeah. I mean, there must be all sorts of lifeforms out there, with their own ideas and culture totally different from ours.." She laughed slightly, "Maybe they've found ways to live and co-exist better than humans."  
  
"Maybe they have... maybe they have wars too..." Ragde glanced off to the side, "Maybe some even live here on Earth and people just don't realise it."  
  
"Here on Earth? Nah, I don't think so. I mean.. How could no one notice them?" She wondered ironically.  
  
"Well..." Ragde looked at her, asking himself if he _should_ tell her what he is...  
  
"Someone'd have to be totally stupid to not notice that they didn't quite blend in." She shook her head and looked over at him, "Oh well. Maybe someday we'll be able to see, huh?" Whether she meant humanity as a whole or 'we' as in herself and present company was hard to say.  
  
"Yeah maybe..." he replied quietly, then looked down at his black shiney boots and shook one foot, which was falling asleep. "Or maybe it'd be like some corny old science fiction movie about world domination.."  
  
"World domination?" She echoed incredulously, then laughed, "Who'd want to rule humans? Most of the members aren't worth having slaves of." She pushed up her glasses and rolled to face him, "Some of them are another thing though.." She grinned, well, oddly at him. Ragde blinked, and looked back at her, then rolled onto his side so he now faced her.  
  
"You think so?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Well, sure," She propped her cheek up on her palm, tilting her head downward slightly, "Some of them are really cool." She grinned, "And nice, smart, cute, all of those things." She grinned, showing a few teeth.  
  
"Hmm... well, I know just one human who fits that discription very well." Ragde replied, smiling at her somewhat shyly, yet with a hint of, dare we say, flirteous? She arched her eyebrows, but a hint of blush crept into her cheeks,  
  
"Odd," She glanced to the side, then back at him, "So do I." Ragde smiled at her, then reached up and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.  
  
"It is a small world after all..." She glanced over at his hand, a full blush spreading across her features. She closed her eyes and smiled shyly, tilting her head against his hand,  
  
"Hmm," She reached up, brushing his long forelock out of his face and cupping his cheek, "I guess so.." He closed his eyes as she cupped his cheek, blushing himself now. By now his human quarter part started acting up, if you know what I mean... anyway he now did want to kiss her, and he knew he wouldn't get an opportunity like this again in a long time. So, he opened his eyes and then leant forward, pressing his lips against hers and closing his eyes again. She blinked in surprise, but soon exhaled and relaxed into it, leaning forward as well, their glasses clinking together, and she slid her hand down his neck and to the back, stroking the fine hair there.  
  
Radge held her face with his hand, his other hand slowly going around her waist. His antennae scythes wilting slightly since it seems most of his blood is rushing downwards at this present moment. She snuggled up to him, closing her eyes tightly, but blinking in surprise when she, ahem, felt something poking her. Her blush deepened, but she didn't break the kiss, leaned into it more if anything and hugging his upper back with her free arm. He made a muffled sound as he suddenly felt her leaning against him the way she was, and this seemed to spark more movements from him like saying, moving against her as well and putting his arms around her. Ragde even went far enough to at least attempt to turn the kiss into a more french one. Tsk, just like his Dad.  
  
Unlike his dad, though, they were not likely to be walked in on. Allison made a muffled moaning sound and opened her mouth slightly, holding onto him tightly, practically clinging to him. She actually seemed unusually passive, but ran her fingers up through his hair, over the bases of his scythes, not realizing how sensitive they were, of course. This got a moan out of him, that's for sure. Ragde moaned against her mouth, sliding his tongue in past her teeth and moving it against hers. Course, half his mind wasn't into this and telling him this wasn't all that right, what with him being an alien and she not knowing about it. But, his hormones were more powerful then his concious.   
  
She giggled muffedly, too drunk with hormones to really ponder his extremely long, agile tongue, and ran her fingers through the hair on one of his scythes, still thinking it to just be an odd hair style. The ends of his antennae curled up in tension, shivering at the tips. Ragde then rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. One of his hands remained on her side, sliding up and down slightly and the other was the back of her head. She blinked her eyes open as his hair actually seemed to tighten its grip on her finger, then she was pulled up on top of him, causing her to giggle futher. She was rather involved in the kiss, of course, but she pinched through his hair out of curiousity, blinking when her fingers landed on the firm, cylindrical antennae that was beneath the hair. It didn't register at first, so she kept fingering it, until it disturbed her enough to pierce through the haze of hormones. She managed to untangle their mouths, albeit reluctantly,  
  
"Um, Raggy.." She mumbled in a slightly groany voice, "What's.. that.. in your hair?" Ragde laid there for a while, slowly making his way back to concious thought through the fog of hormones clogging his mind. He looked up at her, then at his hair.  
  
"Uhmm..." he bit his lower lip, then glanced away. "Well... I... I think I.. I should at least tell you now.. b-but I should have told you before anything like this happened but I thought if I did, you wouldn't have anything to do with me and... and..." Ragde stopped his small rant, then looked up at her. "Allison I'm.... not... really from around here."  
  
"Huh?" She looked down at him in confusion, letting go of his 'hair' as it seemed to make him, er, edgy. "What do you mean? I've known you since I started skool practically.."  
  
"No, I... don't mean like that..." he sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm not from this planet." Ragde said quickly. She stared down at him for a while, then started laughing,  
  
"I know I always go on about how cool it'd be to meet an actual alien, Raggy, but you don't have to make up a story like that just 'cuz you have a skin condition.." She patted his cheek, apparently ignoring the fact his skin was a bit rougher than that of a human.   
  
"I, I'm not kidding." Ragde said, looking up at her. "I really am... a... alien." he then sat up, setting her back on the bed and pointed to his pod. "Haven't you ever wondered about that?" She blinked,  
  
"I.. did.. but I thought it'd be rude to ask since I thought it was some kind of respirator or something like that." She didn't seem quite so certain now, peering over his shoulder to re-exmaine his pod.  
  
"It's.. kinda like a life support system... also got some stuff in it which is handy..." Ragde pulled his hair out the way, to show her the black spotted metal pod. She touched it warily, then looked over at him with a raised eyebrow,  
  
"So alright.. if you are an alien.. just where are you _from_?"  
  
"Oh, I was born on Earth, as was my parents. My grandparents though... well... they came from a planet a long ways away." he looked up at the ceiling, which didn't just have stars on, but mini version of the galaxy, well, the ones humans know of. "See we're there." he pointed up to the Earth, "And Irk is..." he pointed to the far corner of her room. "Very very far away in that direction." She blinked, following his finger,  
  
"So.." She looked confused, maybe torn between believing him and still being skeptical, "So your green skin.. isn't a skin condition?" She touched the place where his ear would be if he had one, "I always wondered just how you heard and smelled stuff.." He glanced to the side,  
  
"I smell and hear because of my antennae.." Ragde made one of his antenane straighten up, then actually bend over and stroked at her forehead. "See..?" She eeped and jumped back suddenly when his hair apparently came to life, looking at it warily as it touched her forehead.  
  
"W.. wow.." Was pretty much all she could manage, then looked over at him, "But.. you do have hair.. and.. your eyes look human to me.."  
  
"Contacts." he replied sadly, looking down. "I got my hair from my Dad, since his Father was human... and my eyes sort of reflect that of a human, being mostly white." She tilted her head in interest, leaning it down so she regained eye contact with him,  
  
"Can I see them..?"  
  
"You really want to?" he asked, looking kind of surprised.  
  
"Yeah," She smiled, "As like.. I dunno.. confirmation." He nodded slowly, taking his glasses off. After a second, the contacts came out and he opened his eyes, replacing his glasses. There were his pure white eyes, with black iris and the larger blackness to accompany it. She blinked, leaning away slightly, maybe taken aback by the slight shock. But she stared at him for a while, then smiled,  
  
"Well.. I don't care what you are," She snuggled up to him and hugged him, nestling her head up beneath his chin, "You're still my Raggy." Ragde smiled gently, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.  
  
"And you're my Allison... you know I always wanted to tell you, but... I kept thinking you'd turn me into authorities..."  
  
"Hey, I'd never do that." She squeezed him, "No amount of fame or fortune's worth my.. best friend," She said the last words with a bit of uncertainty, considering what had been going on just a few minutes prior hadn't exactly been platonic.  
  
"Hmm... best friends for years..." he said quietly, his antennae scythes folding back what with being free from any hair ties now.   
  
"Yeah.." She said quietly, "Maybe.. something else too," she mumbled, against his neck.  
  
"Thing is..." Ragde looked down at her, "My family isn't... that really fond of humans." She blinked up at him,  
  
"I thought you said your grandfather was one?"  
  
"Well yeah but... my Grandfather Zim never liked him." he replied. "Father came into existance because of an accident."  
  
"An accident?" 'Course she was thinking along the lines of unplanned pregnancy.  
  
"Heh, I should explain better..." he smiled gently, "You see, my grandfather Zim was the first Irken on Earth. He was sent to take control of the planet. But, one human knew what he was. Dib. Zim tried to make a cloning machine, but Dib interfered and the machine took his DNA as well as Zim's. Thus... my Father, Zib, was 'born', so to say." Ragde always found it to be an odd way to be created, but heck, at least his Dad was there.  
  
"Oh," She giggled slightly at the idea, "I guess he wasn't the only alien here though.. right?"  
  
"Ah well... see, Grandfather Zim's leaders are known as the Tallest. They hated him. That's why they sent him so far away." Ragde laid back on the bed, "To make him think he was on a real mission, my Grandmother Cten was sent to assist him." She laid back as well, snuggled up to his side, looking up at him and listening raptly,  
  
"So did they have your Mom, too?" She was still a bit confused, heck who wouldn't be at a family tree like that.  
  
"The Tallest? She was their maid, but told her to act like an Invader to make Grandfather Zim believe she was there to help him." Ragde explained slowly, then paused. "Yes that's it.."  
  
"Oh." She pondered, "Just how many grandfathers did you have?" She looked puzzled, counting things off on her fingers.  
  
"Heh.. Grandfather Zim, Grandfather Poe, and _technically_ Grandfather Dib. But he's away at colledge." Ragde replied.  
  
"Poe?" She echoed, that name being new.  
  
"Ah well now, Grandfather Poe... he's a Reject." he said simply "Meaning he wasn't considered 'normal' by Irken standards, and forced to live in the slums."  
  
"Oh," She wrinkled her nose slightly, setting her head on his shoulder, "I guess they aren't much better than humans afterall.."  
  
"Meh, it happens to the best of us." Ragde shrugged. "But, thanks to his mother, my Great-Grandmother Xyth the Noble, he got to see the Tallest. Then, they gave him his own ship to check out other planets. He ended up here, on Earth."  
  
"Man," She shook her head slightly, all this being somewhat hard to take in, "So.. lemme guess.." She pondered, "He and.. Cten, was it..? Met up and had your Mom?"  
  
"Yup." he nodded. "To put it bluntly, yes. Then, my Mother and Father were friends then became lovers. But that happened while my Grandparents, minus Dib, were arrested." Ragde looked up at the ceiling.  
  
"Arrested? Wouldn't the police have known they were aliens?"  
  
"Not humans. Irkens. To my knowledge, Grandfather Zim reported to the Tallest that... Cten and Poe were together. Which is illegal, to reproduce with a Reejct." Ragde wasn't sure what the whole story was, just that they were arrested. As well as Zim. She nodded, starting to understand, well, as best as she could anyway, until she remembered something,  
  
"Where did Athra and Vist come from, then..?"  
  
"Grandfather and Grandmother must have.. uhm, gotten up to something while on Irk, because Mom told me when they returned, she had a new baby brother." yes, even Ragde didn't know what happened up on Irk between Cten and Snab. "While Athra, well Grandfather Zim met up with Grandmother Visthti. Who was also an Exile like him." he looked down at her, "It's all a bit confusing at first."   
  
"I'll say," She laughed quietly, looking up at him and having hugged onto his arm somewhere between his explaination for Vist and Athra, "It's so cool, though, being a family of aliens right on Earth."  
  
"Well it's the only place we feel really safe..." Ragde smiled at her. "We could have a choice and head out into the great black yonder... but we've had no need to at all."  
  
"You always _could_ though.. I've always felt.. I dunno.. trapped." She glanced out the window that was over her bed, "But yeah.. part of me is kinda glad I'm right here." She squeezed his arm, and added quietly, "Well, right now, all of me.." Ragde smiled, hugging her now.  
  
"I'm happy to be here now... but once I learn how to use a Voot Cruiser, maybe one day I'll take you out."  
  
"Really?" She looked up at him hopefully, squeezing him almost painfully tight.  
  
"Yeah, why not?" he grinned at her, then reached up and took her hat off letting her blue hair fall free. "You want to, and I want to." She broke out into a grin, shaking her head and letting her hair tumble out, nuzzling his neck happily,  
  
"Wow, it's so hard to believe all this is happening.."  
  
"Well, it is..." Ragde held onto her, closing his eyes. "And I've never been so happy."  
  
"Neither have I." She was silent for a moment, relaxing her grip on him, "You said they didn't like humans, though.."  
  
"Well... my Grandfather Zim and his small family group aren't fond of them... I don't know how Grandfather Poe and his are, minus Vist of course. He hates people. Ivy doesn't like humans, I'm not sure about my parents though..." he then gulped, thinking back to when Zim told him about the time he replaced a man's brain with a squid's. She nodded slightly, glancing down,  
  
"Well.. there's no real _reason_ for us to tell anyone.. right?"   
  
"I know... but I just... wait. Tell them...?" he stared at her, looking surprised. "You mean..?"  
  
"Well.." She kept her eyes away, drumming her fingers on his chest, "What we were.. um.. doing.. not too long ago..kind of.. indicates.." she trailed off, blushing. Ragde smiled slightly, then with one hand lifted her face up to his.  
  
"I'd really love to be that something else." She glanced down at his hand, then up at him, the blush still colouring her cheeks, but she smiled, wrapping her arms around him,  
  
"I'd really.." She chewed at her lip, the next word a bit hard for her to say, "L.. love.. it too." She kept smiling, though it was quite a shy one. He smiled back at her shyly, then grinned happily.  
  
"Yeah... we'll see how it goes..." Ragde was never sure a girl would be able to see him in _that_ way, so of course he was nervous. She reached over, running her fingers through his hair again, but downwards this time, pulling out the binder that was keeping his pony tail in place.  
  
"I feel kind of.. odd, saying this now, since we're not.. technically the same species.. but I always thought you were.. well, really.. cute." Ragde grinned, blushing slightly as his long black hair fell free of the binder and over his shoulders.  
  
"Yeah I guess I _am_ kind of like, some anime guy..." he laughed slightly, "I'm so bishie."  
  
"Hey," She reached forward and tapped the place his nose would be, flicking the binder away, "I happen to like bishies." She grinned, toying with the nearest strand of hair.  
  
"Obviously..." he smirked, "Guess the hottest anime bod's busy, time for under-study Ragde to steal the girl." Ragde smiled at her, then kissed her gently on the lips. She laughed and kissed him back, her giggles quieting to a happy 'hmm' sound, closing her eyes. The hand that was fiddling with his hair ran down his shoulder, underneath the collar of his black coat. Ragde made a purring sound from the back of his throat as he held onto her, hands at her sides as he held onto her. He never thought this would actually happen, but, for now things were great for him. He just hated the idea of when and if they ever told his family what the out comes would be.  
  
[To be continued! I think]


	6. Chapter 6

Pre-Teenage Revelations  
Epic Eight  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Poe  
  
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Vist and Athra were in an elevator, one going down to the base of the lab; it was the first time Athra'd actually been over to Vist's house, since she had a reason to be there, them being assigned one of those partner-up research projects and were going down to Poe and Cten's lab for research perposes.  
  
"Jeeze," Vist muttered, taking off his wig and stuffing it in his coat, "Never thought Poe'd let us by.." The tall Reject had been a bit suspicious, afterall, knowing how much the two seemed to hate each other he didn't want to find any dismembered bodies in his lab.  
  
"I'll say." Athra muttered, folding her arms glaring at the ground. Her wig and contacts were already off, she was glad to get them off. More freedom and no itchy eyes at all. "Say Vist, I been meaning to ask you something."  
  
"Mh?" He held open one eyelid and pulled out his contact, "Shoot."  
  
"Why don't you call Poe 'Dad'? I mean, he is your Dad..." she'd always found that weird. I mean, she knew of the old show known as the Simpsons and how the son always called the father by his first name, but this didn't seem slightly right. He blinked, and not only because his contacts were out. He seemed somewhat put off by that question, but shook his head and put his contacts in his pocket.  
  
"Athra," he started, turning towards her, "Lookit me. Where do orange eyes come from parents with black'n blue ones?" Athra stared at him for a while, then narrowed an eye.  
  
"Did your Mom play around?" she sounded slightly surprised, knowing Cten was obvious she wasn't like _that_. He shrugged,  
  
"I can't say anythin' for certain." The elevator stopped, opening up onto the lab, "But Poe's never liked me. He tries," Vist's lip twitched, and he headed out, "But he just does it for Mom."  
  
"Then.. why don't you try for your Mom?" Athra knew she was tredding on thin ice, but his family seemed at odds almost all the time. She stepped out of the elevator, pulling a book from her pod. He furrowed his brow and made a slightly annoyed sound.  
  
"You want me to call someone I ain't even related to Dad?" He shook his head, "It's either my real one, or no one." He stopped, staring at the floor, his antennae backing slightly, "Wonder what he was like sometimes."  
  
"Why don't you ask your Mom then...?" she sat down at a table set up in the main lab room, putting the book down. "I'm sure she'd tell you at least."  
  
"I tried to, once when I was younger," He made a motion with his hand to indicate how tall he'd been at the time, "She seemed t'get so upset I felt too bad to ask again." He sat down beside her, holding onto the edge of the table, "Maybe she'n Poe were seperated at one point an' she found someone else.. who didn't want a kid." He slid back onto the table, staring down at his lap.  
  
"Oh.. I'm sorry." Athra patted his arm, looking up at him. "Well maybe one day, when you feel ready you could just ask her again. She probably wasn't in the best of mind back then with her disease.." He sighed very quietly, his antennae going slightly limp,  
  
"Dunno.. part of me.. part of me jes.. wonders if I'm happier not knowin." She nodded slightly, opening her book.  
  
"Truth hurts I guess."  
  
"Yeah." He shook his head, "Anyway." He got one of his own books out of his pod and looked through it, as well as a notebook and pen. He scribbled something experimentally, grunting a curse when the pen produce nothing but a line of indented paper, "They must have some pens down here somewhere," he muttered, setting the book and paper down, rifling through a nearby drawer.  
  
"Ah stupid pens." she picked up the old one and shook it, tapping the pen on her book. "I hate em." He found nothing of use, kneeling down to the bottom drawer, opening it and rooting around through the contents, until he came upon a box shape.  
  
"Mebbe I got.." He pulled the box out; it was covered in Irken lettering, which he couldn't read. He scowled, shaking it, "What the heck.." She turned her head to him, antennae quirking.  
  
"What'd you find?" Athra leant over to see the box, reading over the writing. Being Zim's daughter, he felt she had to know how to read Irken in case of any events she needed to know. Her eyes widened, then she smirked. The smirk formed a giggle, then she laughed up roaringly.  
  
"What?" He scowled, feeling like he was left out of some kind of joke, looking at the box again for some sort of clues. Athra stopped laughing, then leant over and took the box from him. She lifted the lid and held up a small wrapper.  
  
"It's.. Irken condoms!" she smirked, "Good God I didn't know your parents would have them!" He stared at her blankly for a moment, before reeling back and nearly dropping the box. He groaned and shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head,  
  
"That ain't somethin' I wanted to think about.." She smirked, unwrapping it.  
  
"Oh please... thinking of any parents doing it is disgusting." Athra held up the condom-esque thing, "Huh, it becomes invisible once on and you can't even feel it. That's gotta be useful..." He raised an eyeridge at her,  
  
"Useful?" He echoed, taking one out of the box to study it himself, "Remember overhearin' Mom sayin' somethin' about how every time Irken's screwed around they'd more likely than not have a kid… wondered why I didn't have any li'l brothers or sisters with the way Mom'n Poe act."  
  
"...maybe cause of what happened before I was born, they're not chancing having others." Athra mused quietly. Zim had told her about it a while ago, some way to drive her out the idea of reproducing. He snorted slightly, but his mind seemed to be wandering and not quite paying attention. His eyes slid away from the condom and over to her. She blinked, then looked over at him.  
  
"…what?" One of his eye-ridges slowly quirked up, and he smirked slightly, forming a rather sly look on his face. Athra blinked, then stared at him now with raised eye-ridges. She knew that smile, but it seemed more… devious.  
  
"Why Vist…"  
  
"I tol' Poe we'd be busy for at least'n hour studying… Y'know… no disturbances." He tilted his head slightly downwards, looking devious indeed.  
  
"Weeelll…" Athra looked at the object in her hand, then waved it at him. "Nothing without this though, I don't want Daddy having a squeedly-spooch attack." He snickered lowly, setting the box and the one he held down to the side, sliding over to her and snatching the condom from her with one hand, the other sneaking around her shoulders,  
  
"Don't worry." Her antennae quivered as her hand rested on his leg.  
  
"Okay then… but don't go bragging, all right? Not like you _could_ brag, but still…"  
  
"Hey," He reached up with the hand on her shoulder, his arm still around her, lifting up one of her shaking antennae with his knuckle, "I tol' you I could be a gentl'min. I ain't gonna go around and disrespect a lady's honor'n her privacy like that." His devious grin softened, his eyelids half-closing.  
  
"Hmmm.." Athra let go of his leg and went up to his antennae, holding the joint between her main fingers. She then leant up and kissed him gently on the lips. "Get it on first, then... we'll see." He purred quietly, for him anyway, usually being akin to a lawnmower. He kissed her back, the finger tilting upwards and curling around her antennae,  
  
"Fine, fine.." He murmured, then pulled away from her reluctantly, sliding back a bit further on the table. He reached up, loosening his collar, then proceeded to unbutton his shirt. Athra nodded, then started to take her boots off. In the past, they had been semi-naked a few times before, but never had actually _seen_ each other full on nude. She was somewhat nervous, heck who wouldn't be? Placing her boots to the side, she pulled her gloves off.  
  
"Is there anyway to lock the lab off…?" she asked quietly. He was nervous too, but not about to show it. He shook his head, pulling his arms out of his sleeves,  
  
"Neh… Gotta know the security code… everyone else in the house knows it 'cept me, probably for this exact reason." He snorted slightly, actually folding his jacket up, a nervous behavior, then finally pushed it to the side. The odd light in the lab seemed to reflect the pigment in his skin differently, maybe it was natural 'Irk' light - but either way, certain parts of his hide, especially on his upper arms and back, seemed a bit darker, duller than the rest of him, almost like he had… stripes. Athra pulled her shirt over her head and pod, then looked over at him. He had his back to him while he slowly slid his pants down half way to do… you know. She tilted her head to the side at the stripes, but then folded her shirt up. They were a bit hard to make out at first, but there were slashes across his back and arms. He made a few frustrated sounds, then took a deep breath, looking back over his shoulder at her. Her antennae rose as he looked at her, then smiled slightly since she had just grabbed onto her black pants, about to pull them down herself.  
  
"I… like your stripes…" she smiled.  
  
"Stripes?" He held out his arms and examined them curiously, "Oh, yeah, those… I… din't think they were anything odd." He backed his antennae, maybe actually flushing a bit at the compliment?  
  
"I like them…" Athra then slowly and cautiously pulled her pants down and started folding them up. "Unique…"  
  
"Unique? I didn't know they were unique… I mean I never seen another Irken naked till-" He happened to glance back at her, and his breath caught. He blinked a few times, then quickly scrambled to regain his train of thought "Till… now."  
  
"Ditto…" she replied, blushing brightly as she put her shirt down on the ground, then sitting down on the floor. Athra loooked at him, smiling shyly - possibly one of the few times she ever would be shy - and curled one of her antenne around her finger. He turned around slowly, still staring at her, with a look that wasn't just hungry lust - well okay, there was a bit of that - but mostly genuine appreciation. He slid off of the table, getting down to his knees in front of her, a tiny smile curling the corner of his mouth.  She smiled back at him, shyness pretty much melting away now as she slid one claw tip up over his arm to his neck, her antennae quivering pretty much in antisipation about now.  
  
Either she took notice of his, *ahem* endownment or not, she seemed very ready indeed. His skin flinched slightly and he leaned over, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. The floor beneath the desk was softened by a patch of carpet, at least, and one of his hands slid downward, dipping her down onto her back gently.  Athra wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding onto him as he slowly laid her on the carpet. She leant up and then kissed him on the mouth gently. And this is a good a time as any to at least pan out to leave the two to… do stuff.   
  
And indeed stuff _did_ happen. But not too long into it, the sound of the elevator could be heard slowly decending through the Earth. Vist was far too preoccupied to notice it at first, but one of his antennae rose at the sound, and he pushed himself up off of her chest,  
  
"Oh slark," he hissed, rather breathlessly, and without much further explaination yanked himself off of, not to mention *cough* out of her, scrambling for his pants. Athra laid there for a while, panting heavily as she slowly sat up. She was about to ask what was happening, when she picked up the sound as well. She 'eeped' and quickly began pulling her clothing on. First her shirt, her gloves, then pulling at her pants, then finally her boots.  
  
"Slark slark slark…" she hissed to herself, since she _had_ been very much into it. He threw on his shirt, buttoning it up in a panic and getting half of them in the wrong holes, he soon gave up trying to straighten it and quickly got back onto the table, kicking the rather incriminating box that'd been on it to a distant corner and hopefully out of sight, pulling up his book and pretending to be reading intently, though he had a rather… distressed look on his face. Athra picked up the non-working pen and stuck it into her teeth and started reading, failing to notice said upside down book. The elevator finally opened, Cten stepping out. She stood there for a while, looking at the two who were sat on the far end of the table.  
  
"You two still down here?" she asked.  
  
"Yeahmah," he said rather quickly, not to mention without much breath, practically rocking back and forth with tension, legs crossed, toes curling and uncurling in tension, "J-j-es studyin…" Cten raised an eye-ridge at Vist's reaction, then blinked as she suddenly smelt _it_. You know the smell all right. She looked at Athra, who's book was still upside down, then at Vist.  
  
"I see." she said simply, leaning on the table. "So, what have you learnt so far?" He froze, then his eyes quickly darted, pretending to be re-reading a passage,  
  
"I-I-I d-dunno Mah, it, it's pretty borin…" He paused to take a breath, blinking a few times, "..Borin stuff,"  
  
"Athra, do you usually read upside down?" Cten then asked, crossing her arms. Athra blinked,  
  
"Umm… it's a diagram, Ms. Cten it's just… funny looking upside down."  
  
"U-huh."   
  
"Y-yeah, this stuff, this stuff's so boring you, might 's well be readin it backwards and it make about.. about as much sense!" He raised his voice suddenly when he crossed his legs a bit too tightly, then blinked and scrunched back over his book.  
  
"Hmm-mm." Cten mused, couldn't tell if she was enjoying doing this to the kids or not. But, now wasn't time to say anything. "Well... I'll let you two get back to it.. but don't study too hard. you'll wear yourself out." with that she turned and walked from the room, into the elevator and was gone. Athra, who had pretty much been holding her breath all this time let out a large gust of wind. Vist did as well, but didn't seem terribly relaxed, because part of him certainly wasn't.  
  
"That.. was close," he panted.  
  
"I know..." she muttered, then looked over at him, then *cough* down at him. "...ah." He glanced down as well, his cheeks tinting visibly,  
  
"Well.. uh.." Athra slid over to him, her hand vanishing from sight under the table.  
  
"Aw, Vist are you still tense..?" she asked quietly.  
  
"K.. kinda.." He looked over at her blankly as she slid back over, his antennae held back against his skull. Her free hand went up to his neck and she kissed his neck, then whispered up to his antennae.  
  
"I should fix that, shouldn't I?" He blinked, but the glazed look returned to his eyes, the lower lids drawing up slightly,  
  
"Nnnngh.." he wasn't able to make a more intelligent reply, his antennae perking. With that she actually pushed him off his seat, onto the floor and the two vanished out of sight again since the angle was on the table after all…  
  
[To be continued – ha, no sex for you!]


	7. Chapter 7

Pre-Teenage Revelations  
Epic Eight  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Poe  
  
After some time Athra eventually had to go home. The two soon emerged in the living room from what was apparently the broom closet, a happy, relaxed, almost sleepy look on Vist's face. Athra looked pretty sleepy and content as well as she leant against him, her book in her hand. He lead her to the door and she pulled her wig and contacts into place.  
  
"See you later Vist, okay?" she asked quietly, wrapping her arms around his waist.  
  
"Mmhmmm," he smiled down at her, a bit stupidly, but hugged her back, tightly enough to lift her off her face and bring her up to level for a goodbye kiss. He eventually let go and waved weakly as she disappeared, staring out the open door for a while before realizing he was without his disguise, shutting it. His eyes closed and he stretched, smiling and strolling up the stairs and into his room.  As soon as he flopped down onto his bed, about to fall into a deep sleep because of his, erm, excercise, the door of his room opened again and there stood Cten. She coughed sharply and loudly.  
  
"Mah?" He wondered sleepily, lifting his head up and looking at her blearily, too tired and out of it to draw the obvious conclusions. She walked into the room, standing besides his bed and folding her arms.  
  
"So, did you have a good time, _dear_?" He blinked, his antennae drooping slightly, and he glanced to the side,  
  
"About as… um… fun as… studyin' can ever be."  
  
"Vist, you know you're a terrible liar when it comes to lying to me." Cten said, then leant over so she was looking at him now, after turning his head to face her. "I _know_ what you were doing young man and I am _not_ proud of it."  
  
"Wha…" His antennae outright drooped now, and he scrunched up, trying to disappear into his tiger-striped coat, "But… I… how'd you know?" He finally asked in a meek voice.  
  
"You _reek_ or hormones _and_ of Athra." she said, frowning at him while hoding his face in one of her hands. "That's how I know." He turned rather red at that, before a thought crossed his mind and he blinked,  
  
"Oh, man, tha' means Athra's parents are gonna…" He trailed off, wincing.  
  
"Yes, _oh man_." Cten nodded, letting him go quickly and standing up. "Hopefully she's smart enough to at least _shower_ before her parents return home since they've been out all day."  
  
"They're gonna kill her an' then they're gonna come an' kill me." He dropped his head back onto his pillow and closed his eyes.  
  
"I was wondering… how long _have_ you two been seeing each other?" she tilted her head to the side. "You could have told us, you know that." He blinked, glancing downward,  
  
"I… um… since… since like… middle skool," he admitted in a tiny voice, "We didn't… wanna say anything since so many people'd go ballistic ov'r it…"  
  
"Honey, I wouldn't have gone ballistic over it…" Cten's antennae folded against her head, sitting on his bed and stroked the back of his head. "I want to see you happy, you know that. Athra's a nice girl, more like Zim then I'd like but she makes you happy. But, finding out at a moment like this… well… it will influence people." He seemed to relax slightly when she stroked his head, and he looked up at her,  
  
"I know… We never even… went that far before," He folded his antennae back tightly, wincing again slightly as he said the words, "But I was lookin' for a pen and I found this box that was covered in Irken letters an' I didn't know what it was so I gave it to Athra'n she started laughing…"  
  
"Ah." Cten shut her eyes and shook her head. "I told Poe to put it in our room… no, he said, we do it there most often…" she smirked slightly, looking at him. "Look hon, if Zim and Vishti don't find out, I won't tell your Fa-I mean Poe." she caught herself before she said 'Father', since she knew to Vist, Poe was anything but.  
  
"You won't?" He glanced up at her with the same pleading eyes he'd had when he was a little smeet, "He'd pro'ly kill me 'for Athra's parents could…"  
  
"I never let him hurt you when you were a smeet, I won't let him hurt you when you're this age." she said, smiling genuinly at him and took his hand. "You're my baby Vist, no matter how old you'll get, you're my baby."  
  
"Aw, Mah…" He glanced away, but a smile tugged at his mouth, and he looked back at her, "T-thanks… fer not… blowin' up about it."  
  
"Hey, I was in love once. I still am." Cten smiled at him, patting his hand. "I'm pretty understanding at times you know." He smiled a bit more widely and sat up, hugging her.  
  
"What if.. if they do find out, though?" He glanced up at her. She hugged him back, stroking the back of his head still.  
  
"I won't let them hurt you no matter what, don't worry." Cten replied. Vist glanced around. Athra's earlier words - the ones before any of the, ahem, other stuff had happened - echoed in his mind, and he looked up at her.  
  
"Hey… Mah… um… I was… gonna ask…" He said uneasily, but before he could continue;  
  
"_CTEN!!!_" roared a terribly angry, tinny voice that could only belong to one Irken from the area of the front of the house, causing him to jump, followed by a loud series of bangs on the door. Cten blinked in surprise at the level of voice Zim had for such a tiny guy, not like she could comment she was just a hair's breth taller then him. She looked to Vist, then stood up.  
  
"You wait here." she said, Vist nodded warily. She made her way down the steps to the front door. Cten paused before opening the door, taking a deep breath. "Self control, self control… okay." then she opened the door, almost to be hit in the face since Zim was still sort of banging on the door. "Dah!" Zim was standing there, steam practically rising from him, his teeth jutting out in a deranged snarl, disguise put on haphazardly.  
  
"WHERE IS THAT WRETCHED LITTLE SON OF YOURS?!" Cten stood her ground, then slowly folded her arms.  
  
"I am not allowing you to go near my son, Zim." she said firmly. Vist winced at the words, having gotten down on the floor and setting one of his antennae against it to listen in downstairs. Her refusal to comply only wound him up further,  
  
"_Do you have any idea what he did to my daughter_?!" He almost shrieked, flailing his claws in the air.  
  
"Yes, I do have an idea what they did." she replied calmly. "But I'm about to accept it happened, are you ready to accept it?"  
  
"ACCEPT IT?!?!" Zim roared, loud enough to cause Vist to curl his antennae back with a wince. Zim panted, catching his breath, then continued, "How can I accept it?! He's no better than his F_ather_!_"_ Zim growled, making a slicing motion with his hand. Cten's eyes flashed with what is undoubtably anger now. She takes a deep breath, clenching her fists together.  
  
"How… _dare_ you compare _my_ son to that… that…" she trailed off, waving her hands slightly. "Self control…" she muttered to herself. Then she looked at Zim again. "For your _information_ your daughter allowed him to, AND they did it with protection. I'm sure you'd know this if you had _asked her_."  
  
"HAH! You believe him?! Lies are the only thing that ever come out of that little bas-" Zim was cut off suddenly as a tall shadow that'd appeared behind him lifted him up, and turned him around.  
  
"Go home, Zim." Poe growled quietly, his eyes narrowed at the little former Invader.  
  
"If you can't believe your own daughter Zim, I feel very sorry for you and Athra." Cten said quietly, turning around and heading back into the base. "Very sorry." Zim seemed mildly subdued by Poe's sudden prescence, but he soon started flailing and thrashing around.  
  
"You'd better hope I never see his malformed face around her again!" He hissed, and Poe growled again, more loudly,  
  
"And you'd better hope I never see your face again if you so much as lay a claw on him." Vist had snuck out of his room and was watching the whole thing from between the banister rails on the stairs, watching with rather wide eyed shock as Poe seemed be… well, _defending_ him. Cten was sat on the couch now, eyes closed and just resting against it. It took a lot, and I mean a lot of energy to control the disease some days. Today had started as a good one, but Zim's little 'visit' had almost brought out the worst in her. She cleared her throat, then opened her eyes an glanced up at Vist. Then she smiled faintly, got up from her seat and headed up the stairs leaving the two 'boys' to argue it out. Vist didn't seem to notice as Cten approached, just holding onto the rails and staring between them blankly, but spoke after a little while of watching Poe cool-headly respond to the verbal attacks of the thrashing little Irken,  
  
"Why… why is he defending me, Mah? I… thought he hated me."  Cten had stopped walking and was stood besides him on the stair way, leaning against the hand rail.  
  
"I told you Vist… Poe doesn't hate you. He really does care for you, sure, he hasn't always… but he does care." Vist's eyes glanced downward, then the turned his head to look up at his Mom with a somewhat sad, but curious look on his face,  
  
"What'd… Zim mean by me being like my father?" She looked down at him, then placed her hand onto his head.  
  
"Vist… your Father wasn't the ideal Irken."  
  
"What d'you mean?" He slumped his shoulders slightly, still looking up at her with big eyes. He'd practically been able to see the anger radiating from Cten when Zim suggested it, something he certainly hadn't seen before. Cten sat down now, looking at him.  
  
"I knew you'd ask again… all right. I'm not proud of this, and I never will be." she sighed, before closing her eyes. "While up on Irk after escaping our trails, Poe and I got seperated in the slums of Irk. I was with Zim though, so I wasn't alone. Then, your Father arrived. We had met previously and he was… seductive with his ladies." Vist listened, tuning out the argument going on downstairs somehow.  
  
"You mean he was hittin' on you an' stuff?"  
  
"When we first met, he hit on me in a big way." Cten replied, putting her hands together. "But, finding me alone in that ally way he took things a bit too far… _and_ without my consent." He blinked a few times,  
  
"You mean… he…" He seemed to pale a bit, scrunching up further, "An… then… what happened?" She looked to him, then at Poe who was still arguing with Zim.  
  
"Zim managed to find Poe, he arrived and the two ended up fighting." Cten rested her head against the stair banister, looking at Vist again. Vist seemed to take this all in, his antennae drooping,  
  
"I guess that's why he didn't like me…" He murmured, then blinked and lifted his head, looking somewhat distraught, "Zim thought I did that to Athra?!"  
  
"It sounds like he does." Cten shook her head slowly, "Obviously he didn't talk to her first and just came over here in a blind fury."  
  
"I'd never! I wouln't hurt her or-or make her do anythin'… Cuz… I mean…" He lowered his eyes slightly, hugging his knees up to his chest and murmuring something along the lines of 'love her', something he might not've even ever told Athra herself. Cten reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder, smiling at him gently.  
  
"You love her, huh?" it was hard taking this all in herself, she still felt like it was yesterday Vist had hatched in Zim's voot cruiser and here he was, in love with Athra. He made a slight whining sound, still staring at his toes, but nodded faintly.  
  
"Never tol' her though… I mean… she'd pro'ly think I was a sap're somethin," he mumbled.  
  
"Well she is one tough cookie I'll say that much. But, I think hearing it from you she wouldn't think so." she glanced at Zim who was now leaving, still fuming of course. "If Zim ever lets you near her again. Ugh, deja vu is a scary thing."  
  
"Deja vu?" He looked up curiously. Poe dusted off his hands and closed the door behind him, pulling his wig off and shaking his antennae out.  
  
"When Zib was courting Enid, he did the exact same thing." she replied, then stood up as Poe walked closer.  
  
"Didn't seem to learn anything either," Poe interjected, as he started up the stairs, taking off his contacts, "Zim really ought to get his blood pressure checked." Vist stared up at Poe, not quite sure what to think of the tall Irken anymore.  
  
"Yes well, you reacted almost the same way when you found out about Enid dear, remember?" Cten took the wig from him.   
  
"Well, I was sick," he muttered, not something he was happy to be reminded of, shaking his head, "I don't know what Zim's excuse is."   
  
"He's just an accentric little miser." she replied, then smiled at him. "Thank you Poe."  
  
"Y-yeah…" Vist added, looking up at Poe from behind his folded arms, antennae lowering, "T… thanks." Poe shook his head,  
  
"I'm not going to let him insult anyone in my family or accuse them of things they didn't do. I can't say I'm happy with the fact you lied to me, Vist," He glanced over at the teenage smeet, who flinched slightly,  
  
"We really were gonna study…" Vist murmured in his defense.   
  
"Curiosity killed the cats, Poe. Mr. We-Should-Keep-Such-Things-In-Lab." Cten half smirked, "But what's done is done. And hopefully things won't get too bad around here… again."  
  
"Oh." He scowled slightly, then sighed, "Well, I'm glad you kids at least used protection… Can't exactly say I thought about that my first time."   
  
"Mmm." Cten murmered, since it was she who started the first time all those years back. Vist blinked,  
  
"You din't?"  
  
"I use to be a stupid teenager myself, once," Poe waved his finger, musing, "At least you didn't get drunk and wind up pregnant."  
  
"Poe…" Cten gave him a slight glare at that comment. He shrugged,  
  
"I'm just saying, if I can forgive Enid for that, I'm not going to be mad at you, Vist." Vist seemed to relax visibly at that,  
  
"So you're not gonna kill me?"  
  
"No. If I were you, though, I'd stay out of Zim's line of sight for a while."  
  
"For a long while. Or, until Athra comes over and he allows her to." Cten sighed, "Come on Vist, you gotta shower at least. You still smell of hormones." she grinned, waving at him as if to waft the air away. Vist flinched, his cheeks flushing rather badly, but he nodded and stood up, heading towards the bathroom. Poe watched him go and sighed, leaning against the banister. Cten watched him go, folding her arms after placing Poe's wig on her head.  
  
"Time flies too quickly."  
  
"Yeah," he agreed half-heartedly, but seemed a bit distant, "At least Vist isn't acting how he use to…"  
  
"He was very surprised you were defending him… plus now… he knows who his Father was." she said gently, curling one of the black bangs around her finger. Poe tilted his head up from its hanging position to look at her,  
  
"You told him?"   
  
"He asked." Cten replied, looking at her feet. "Zim said how he was like his Father… so I had to tell him."  
  
"Oh." He frowned slightly, then walked over to her and stood beside her, "I'm glad that he's gotten a more like you as he gets older… For a while there I was worried."  
  
"So was I Poe, so was I." she nodded slowly, then glanced up at him. "That's why I loved him as much as I did, knowing he was Snab's made me think if he didn't have love or anything like that when he was younger, he'd have turned out very badly…" she glanced up at the top of the stair case, "But, I know he's right." Poe nodded, glancing to the side and looking somewhat sad.  
  
"For a while there was rather bad…" He murmured to himself; he never had told her about the probably circumstances behind the death of their egg. He sighed, "I wish I could get rid of the wedge that's between me and him… but I know that isn't happening."  
  
"It will happen Poe… I know it will. Maybe it's just my hopeful thinking, but it's all I've got." Cten slowly leant against him, wraping her arms around his middle. "But I think things will start easing up around here at least.."  
  
"Maybe," he said, though he didn't seem that convinced. "I'm just not sure we'll ever be able to get along that well. But… hopefully you're right on both points." He shook his head, "Though the only thing that kept Zim from throwing a big stink the last time his offspring and ours were intermingling was due to the fact we were arrested."  
  
"Well, we're here now… and hopefully now we can talk it out. I just hope Athra will survive the tongue lashing she'll be getting from Vishti and Zim." Cten let him go and pulled the wig off, her antennae freeing themselves. "Let's hope." He winced slightly,  
  
"Can't say I envy her…" He put his arm around her shoulders, "Though at the very least, Zim's general attitude has impoved greatly since Vishti came along."  
  
"U-huh." she nodded solemly. "If Vist can't see her, he might regress back into his angry self. And I don't want that." He nodded,  
  
"Maybe Vishti can talk some sense into Zim… she seems somewhat more reasonable than he does."  
  
"Let's hope she talks to Athra before Zim does." Cten replied. "For Athra's sake."  
  
[Almost done with this segment, don't worry]


	8. Chapter 8

Pre-Teenage Revelations  
Epic Eight  
Written by Cartman's Girl and Poe  
  
Meanwhile, Zim had stomped furiously all the way home; not only did he have his original complaint, but Poe'd damaged his pride, again. It was kind of hard to feel adequet against someone who was holding you up in the air by the collar of your shirt, afterall. He practically tore the door of his base down and slammed it behind him.  
  
"That… that… REJECT!" He hissed. GIR was hiding under a coffee table, wisely, admist all the yelling and anger and whatnoy. Athra was up in her room, since that was where Zim had sent her. Given her Father's state of mind at the time, she wasn't one to argue with him over this. She just sat there, waiting for either her Mom, Dad or even GIR to enter. Heck, she'd talk to anyone right now. Even if it was the robot. He sat there in the living room, fuming, before glaring at the elevator and realizing he'd have to confront his daughter sometime. The fact that the whole thing had been _consentual_ didn't really set his mind much more at ease. He stormed into the elevator and assulted the button, the doors sliding barely sliding open enough to admit him before he shoved his way through. Athra blinked, hearing the elevator open and the squishing sounds of her Dad squeezing through. She sighed, and leant forward, hands to her face as she rested her elbows on her knees.  
  
"Is what Cten told me true?" He asked sharply, marching in front of her and folding his arms, glaring down at her. "That this was.. was.. by _choice_?" He never really had liked Vist, probably because of who his father was. She looked up at him, dropping her arms to her side.  
  
"Yes. I let it happen."  
  
"But why?! I thought you hated him!" He made little 'hate' fingers, obviously not being as perceptive as Cten and Poe about these things.  
  
"Well... we _did _hate each other..." Athra glanced to the side, "I can't really explain it... Dad, we've been together since mid-Hi Skool." she looked at him, "I didn't tell you, cause I knew you'd react... kinda like this." He blinked, blanching at that,  
  
"You mean this wasn't the first time something like that happened?!"  
  
"No!" her antenane sprung up straightly. "We've never.. done that before."   
  
"Oh." He scowled, "Well, it's still disgusting and disgraceful! He's a horrible Reject!" He still seemed to forget that he was one of those himself.  Athra frowned slightly, narrowing her eyes at him.  
  
"So are _we_, Dad. Or do you keep forgetting that?" He blinked, but shook his head,  
  
"You don't understand, Athra. His father… horrible Irken," Zim shuddered, bristling at the memory.  
  
"What?" one of her antennae tweaked in confusion, "You know who his Dad was?"  
  
"Unfortunately," He snorted, "I'm not especially fond of Poe but I would far prefer it if he had been Vist's father instead of… of that pimp," He shook his head again, muttering to himself, "At least I know Poe isn't going to rape anyone…" Athra stared at her Father for a while, before blinking out of her slight shock.  
  
"Ms. Cten was... _raped_?" He glanced over at her, realizing he'd said it a bit too loudly, then nodded curtly,  
  
"Yes, and that's how Vist came about." He pulled off his wig finally, his antennae twitching, "He resembles his father far too strongly for my tastes.."  
  
"Whoa." Athra stared ahead blankly for a while, "No wonder he had a feeling he'd be better off not knowing...." He pulled out his contacts,  
  
"And when you came home reeking of him, like _that_, I thought…" He huffed, balling his fists, "That he'd taken after Snab in ways other than looks." Athra looked down at the floor,  
  
"I see..." she then stood up and hugged Zim around the shoulders since she was pretty much his height. "I'm sorry Dad, I didn't _mean_ to make you worry." He tried to remain stern, but relented and hugged her back, shaking his head,  
  
"By now I should realize it comes with teenagery.. ness.."  
  
"Yeah, I guess it does... plus having a male around and what not." she smirked slightly. He scowled and leaned back away from her, holding onto her shoulders. His scowl softened slightly,  
  
"Bah, you hatchlings grow up far too quickly." She smiled at him, then beeped where his nose would be.  
  
"I'm sorry Dad. But I'm still your little girl, you know that." A smile managed to creep into his features, and he waved her hand away gently,  
  
"Yes, yes, I know," He lowered one of his antennae, "I just don't want to be a grandparent _again_ any time soon."  
  
"You won't Dad, I don't want any smeets for a _long_ time." Athra nodded simply. "I'm making sure Vist knows that, and he better respect it or he'll be in big trouble."  
  
"Yes, he will be," Zim scowled, looking all dark and spooky, oo. "But nonetheless!" He finished the conversation with a wave of his hand, "I'm certain you have some homework you need to be doing, since you certainly weren't working on it _earlier_." She laughed, shaking her head slightly.  
  
"Oh Dad.. um.. how's Mom taking it...? I haven't really seen her.." He blinked,  
  
"You know.." His antennae tilted back, "I was suppose to come back to the base just to get something from the labs.. She's.. still waiting." He winced, having been distracted and forgot all about that, obviously.  
  
"...oh Dad! How could you?" Athra couldn't help but smile anyway, "Oh poor Mom... being filled in on so much..."  
  
"I got sidetracked," He wrinkled his nose-area, "Let's just hope she doesn't kill the messenger.. I'd better get back to her."   
  
"Better.." she bit her lower lip, "Hope she doesn't kill me either."  
  
"You might wish you were dead after one of her tongue lashings," He shook his head, "Anyway, I want to see that skool work done, no matter how stupid and trivial it all is." He pointed to her desk, then returned to the elvator. This time, though, he took it down to his labs, getting what he was sent to fetch; just a simple garden hoe, you'd think they'd have one up there, wouldn't you? - and ran into the transporter.  
  
Meanwhile, hovering above earth in their large garden, Vishti was still waiting. She was looking out over at the galaxy, arms folded while she waited for Zim to return. She glanced at her watch, and tsked.  
  
"Really.." Finally he stepped out of the transporter, the door sliding away with a hydraulic hiss, weilding the hoe. He waved it,  
  
"I have the dirt-irritating tool! And.. news." He looked a bit worse for wear, his shirt having been mussed up from Poe yanking him around. She turned her head to face him, then turned fully and stared at him in slight surprise.  
  
"What happened to you?!" obviously noting the loosness in his collar.  
  
"Poe happened," he grunted, setting down the hoe, "I'll get to that in a moment. The news, well.. it seems.. erm.." He glanced around, looking around the hull of the anteroom to the orbiting green house, "Our daughter's no longer a virgin," He finally blurted. Vishti stared at him for a while, then slightly laughed while shaking her head.  
  
"Heh heh... oh Zim... you're not serious surely..." He shook his head.  
  
"You know how she told us she was going over to Cten's base with Vist to study for some.. skoolish type project?" She raised an eye-ridge at him.  
  
"...by Tallest you're serious aren't you?"  
  
"Let's just say the type of _studying_ they did probably won't be on the test." The plant she had been holding in a pot fell from her hands and smashed onto the ground, a look of pure shock plastered over her face. He flinched and held his arms up, then lowered them slowly,  
  
"If it's any consolation, from what I gather they used.. er.. protection." He didn't get any responce, Vishti simply fainted.He blinked down at her, then kneeled and managed to scoop her up with a great deal of difficulty, not being the strongest Irken around afterall, and carted her back to the transporter.  
  
[And this segment is DONE! Move onto the next part, thank you very much.]


End file.
